


Kidnapped

by AwokenMonster



Category: 9lives (Band), Hollywood Undead (Band)
Genre: Abuse, Depression, Kidnapping, M/M, Mental Hospital, Nightmares, Rape, Self-Harm, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-24
Updated: 2017-10-17
Packaged: 2018-09-19 17:26:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 53
Words: 77,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9452225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AwokenMonster/pseuds/AwokenMonster
Summary: What could possibly happen in only 100 days? Danny's missing, Johnny receives a disturbing video from Deuce. Will they ever get Danny back? That's how it begins but does it ever end? Nothing ever happens without consequences and the aftermath seems to be far worse than any of them could've anticipated. Warning: Slash, Danny/Funny, Charlie/Da Kurlzz, J-Dog/Deuce, Danny/Deuce (not of the loving kind), Deuce/Gadjet. E rated for violence, rape, sex and language.





	1. He's Gone

They left with six and arrived with five. Such a simple sentence that caused panic between the boys. One of the members of Hollywood Undead mysteriously went missing. It was simple. They left the bus at 12 o'clock to get something to eat at Del Taco and arrived at the fast food restaurant around 12:16. In those 16 minutes one of their members had gone missing. He was nowhere to be found. The stupidest of all was the fact they didn't even realize it at first. At first they were laughing and having fun until Da Kurlzz suddenly asked "Hey, where's Danny?"

They thought he was lost or something so they went back to find him on their way. He wasn't there. He wasn't in the bus either and not at Del Taco. "I'll call his phone", Charlie offered, holding his own phone in his hand and selecting Danny's number. It immediately went to voicemail, as if the phone was off. Danny never turned off his phone. He was scared of being unreachable if he'd turn it off.

J-Dog wore a worried frown on his forehead. "I have a nasty feeling about this. Danny is missing! We need to call the cops."

"You can only call the cops when he's been missing for 24 hours, dip", Da Kurlzz commented, rolling his eyes and leaning against the wall of the bus. J-Dog glared at him but it eased back into worry when he thought of their lead singer. Where was he? Why wasn't he answering his phone? Why didn't they notice where he went?

"Guys", Johnny piped up and earned everyone's attention. "Don't stress just yet. Maybe he'll come home tonight or something. Maybe he wandered off and his battery died."

Johnny always eased their nerves when they were overreacting. His sentence calmed down the others, though not completely. Of course they were still egged on by the disappearance, but they shouldn't panic that quickly. Funny Man yawned and stretched. "Well, instead of worrying about little Dannyboy, I'm gonna hit the sack."

Charlie and J-Dog followed his example, going to bed early to keep themselves from worrying about their sweet bandmate. Johnny and Da Kurlzz were still awake, drinking a last bottle of beer before going to sleep. "Aren't you worried?"

Neither of them were sure who spoke the words but they both had the same answer. Of course they were concerned, but making the others panic wouldn't get them anywhere. Da Kurlzz couldn't panic, he was the eldest and had to set an example. He would by showing everyone Danny would come home. Tomorrow morning, he'd be in his bunk, safe and sound asleep. They'd all pat him on the head or even slap him lightly for making them worry. It would all be just fine. Just wait for it.

The next morning things weren't fine. Danny was still not in his bunk or anywhere to be found. There were no messages on either of their phones which was the cause for J-Dog and Charlie's pacing around. Both were restless in their movements and when someone tried to stop them, they'd get bitten. Figuratively speaking and sometimes literally.

"I hope he's okay", Funny Man sighed. He shook his head and took a swing of his freshly opened can of beer. Johnny leaned against the Mexican and let out a whine. "Why won't he just show up and show us he's fine?!"

"Because he's fucking gone! Something happened to him!" Charlie freaked out.

J-Dog hit him across the face. "Don't you dare make everyone panic!"

A phone bleeped, signaling a message but no one really paid attention to it. No one really knew whose phone it was anyway. J-Dog and Charlie were bickering but that was only because they were afraid little Danny was hurt somewhere. They were afraid he got hit by a car and driven to the hospital by the assaulter out of guilt. Now he was awaiting their arrival at the hospital but they didn't show up. He was alone. That was one of the bad scenarios inside their heads. Da Kurlzz decided to take the responsibility of separating the fighting men. He stood in between them and held his arms out, keeping them away from each other.

Funny Man moaned in irritation. "Why won't he fucking answer his phone?!"

Johnny shrugged and took out his own phone. "Hey, I got a message."

"From who? Your mom?" Funny Man mocked.

Suddenly Johnny jolted upright. "From Danny!"

The fight in front of them froze. Charlie and J-Dog rushed to Johnny's side to watch the message. Da Kurlzz awkwardly bent over the phone to see it and Funny Man read over J-Dog's shoulder. "It's a video!"

Johnny hesitantly pressed play and they all held their breaths as the video started to play. It was pretty crappy because there was no cameraman. The phone was placed on a table, shaking slightly as the one who placed it there stepped backwards. It was Deuce. He had his mask on and bent over to wave at the camera. "Hello, faggots! If you call the cops, your little pet is dead meat, got it?"

He turned the camera towards the right. Johnny almost dropped his phone in shock and Funny Man dropped his jaw. "Holy fuck."

Danny was there. He was tied to a chair, legs tied to the legs of the chair and his wrists tied together behind the chair. His mouth was sealed with duct tape and a blindfold covered his eyes. What shocked them mostly was how he looked. His face was covered in swelling bruises, just like his right arm. His left arm seemed to be fine, but they couldn't be sure. They could only imagine what horrible image of bruises was underneath his shirt.

"Deuce, keep your filthy paws off Danny!" J-Dog called towards the video.

Deuce turned the camera back at himself and they could already feel him gloating underneath the mask. "Doesn't he look cute when he's tied up? I bet you know all about that, J-Dog. Tying him up and doing more to him. That's why I had to go, right? Because you wanted to try someone new."

Johnny looked at J-Dog. "What is he talking about?"

His friend turned his head away. "We may have dated for a while before he got kicked out of the band."

He earned a glare but luckily the video was interesting enough to get the attention off of him. Deuce turned the camera in between Danny and him so both were on screen. "Do you know what I'm planning on doing to little Danny? I'll have some fun with him", Deuce answered his own question. He walked up to his victim and ripped off the duct tape. Danny stirred but didn't make a sound except for a pitiful whine. He slowly raised his head. "Let me go."

"No, no, Danny. Greet your friends first", Deuce corrected and patted his hair.

The golden masked member whipped his head in all sorts of directions. "Guys?!"

"We're recording a nice video for them", the other hushed, petting his hair softly.

Danny groaned. "Fucking Deuce, I'll kill you."

"Now that's a foul mouth. You'll need to be taught manners", Deuce hissed, yanking his hair to move his head back. Danny yelped in pain and made Deuce chuckle. "You remind me of a little wolf. A pup that has strayed from the pack. A pack that kicked out its alpha, me."

"Fuck you", Danny spat but he earned a harsh slap across the face. It stung because of the black bruises on his face. Deuce just continued talking to the camera as if Danny wasn't even there. "So you must be wondering how I got my hands on little Dannyboy. It was really easy. I just lured him into the trap while you idiots were happily talking and having fun. Curiosity kills the cat and Danny sure was a curious one."

Danny growled but was silenced when Deuce gripped the back of his neck harshly. Only a pathetic whine came out next. It was embarrassing to watch their friend get humiliated like that and treated like a dog. They all had only one thought in their minds. _We need to save Danny ourselves._ Getting the police involved, would kill Danny and they didn't want that. Deuce still continued talking to them. "Besides, J-Mutt, I'll treat him nicely and maybe in the end, he'll join my side instead of yours."

J-Dog clenched his fist. "Over my dead body."

"You really think I'd ever join your side? Well excuse me but I'll remain on the light side", Danny snapped. Deuce smacked him on the head again and made him spit out a chunk of blood from his chapped lips. Then Deuce turned towards the camera and stood in front of Danny so he wasn't visible anymore. "You must wonder what you can do to get your precious lead singer back. Nothing. I don't want money and I don't want my spot in the band back. I'm keeping him to make you all suffer and I'll only give him back when I think you've learned your lessons. If he doesn't die in the process."

He ended his speech with a chuckle and Johnny had the urge to smash his phone into a million pieces. Fucking Deuce. He had all of the power in this game right now but the tides would turn one day. They'd get Danny back and it would be soon too. They'd come up with a plan.

"Don't even think of trying to come and save him", Deuce continued and they froze. "I've got a spy aboard the bus."

Everyone looked at each other. Johnny had a feeling Funny Man was the spy while Funny Man thought Da Kurlzz might be the spy. J-Dog also thought Da Kurlzz was the spy but Charlie had something else in mind. The video ended and Johnny put away his phone. They got on their feet. Soon the hell broke out.

"You're the fucking spy, aren't you?" Funny Man accused Da Kurlzz, pointing at him.

Da Kurlzz raised an eyebrow. "Are you kidding me? You're the spy!"

"Why would I be the spy? You're the one who keeps calm about our little Danny being kidnapped!" Funny Man shouted.

The eldest threw his hands up in despair. "Really? I'm trying to remain calm so we can come up with a fucking plan! You're the one who's the spy because you're faking your panic!"

"Enough!" Charlie boomed. Both men shut their mouths and looked at their smaller friend. "Both of you, sit down!"

As told they both sat down and awaited further orders. When Charlie was pissed, they didn't dare cross his mind. It was just too dangerous. He had a lot of energy inside that small body when someone ticked him off.

"There is no fucking spy. We've been in a band together for how long?" Charlie begun.

"9 years", they answered in unison. Johnny and J-Dog were curious where he was taking this conversation so they just sat and watched.

"Who was Deuce's best friend?"

"J-Dog."

"Who decided to kick him out?"

"Johnny."

"J-Dog"

So the answers were a little divided, but it could still prove his point. Charlie sighed in annoyance and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Deuce can't have a spy. We all hate his fucking guts for talking shit about Hollywood Undead. He's just saying these things to make us panic. He wants to buy himself some time so he can nicely molest Danny before we even think of a plan!"

"He's right", J-Dog popped up. "Deuce would do something like that. He's one hell of a guy when he's pissed. I experienced that enough when he was still part of the band."

"Okay, Jay, spill the beans", Charlie ordered while folding his arms sternly.

"About what?" J-Dog feigned.

Johnny hit the back of his head. "About Deuce. Fucking tell us what you've been hiding."

J-Dog lowered his gaze to the ground. He didn't dare to look at Charlie or Johnny. Not even at Da Kurlzz or Funny Man. He couldn't bear the staring eyes of his friends. He stood up and thought about how to say it. "Well, I kind of… When Deuce was still a part of the band, I loved him. He loved me too. Then he shifted. When Danny came aboard the bus, not even a part of the band yet, Deuce decided to play the jealous one. He told me Danny would steal me. He was so unhappy whenever we went on tours because Danny was there so it became unbearable and we had to kick him out for his awful behavior. Now he probably thinks I kicked him out because I wanted to be with Danny, but I don't. Danny is not even my type."

Johnny dropped his jaw. "I've known you since you were a fucking toddler and now you tell me you're gay?"

"Bi but why does that even matter?" J-Dog complained.

"Just wondering", Johnny murmured, holding his up his hands in an apologetic way. He didn't mean to offend, he was simply surprised to hear his childhood friend liked guys too. Even more surprised to hear he'd been together with Deuce! Deuce! Another one of his childhood friends which turned into an enemy.

"Damn, so many surprises", Funny Man piped up. "It just seems so unreal. What's next? You're gonna tell me Da Kurlzz and Charlie have been in a relationship for years?"

It was pure mockery but Charlie couldn't help but grit his teeth. "So what if that would happen?"

"You're kidding, right? You're not with Kurlzz, are you?" Funny Man asked.

Da Kurlzz punched him in the shoulder. "No, fucking moron! He's just offended because you make it seem like a bad thing to be in love."

"No, I'm making it seem like a bad thing to combine you two", Funny Man chuckled.

Charlie shot him a death glare. "Danny is getting beaten to death and you're joking?"

Funny Man's smile melted off his face and was replaced by guilt. Some people deal with sorrow and worry on their own. Some people show it, some people get angry and some other people would joke at inappropriate times. Funny Man was one of the latter categories. "Sorry."

"Just… We need to calm down before we come up with a plan. Johnny, you keep checking your phone for new videos from Deuce. Charlie, you chill the fuck out because you're snapping at people. Funny Man, you just shut up", J-Dog assigned.

He got three nods before they parted. Da Kurlzz remained behind with J-Dog. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Do I have to order you around? You seem to be able to keep calm so I guessed I shouldn't", J-Dog said. He turned his back towards the drummer and leaned his hands on the table. Da Kurlzz came up closer and placed a hand on his back. "We'll get him back. You don't have to be the strong one."

The rapper turned his head towards his friend. He had small tears in the corners of his eyes. They threatened to spill but he was holding them back so desperately. As if he'd let go of his hope if he'd let go of the tears. He sniffed and wiped his eye on his sleeve. "Did you see his bruises?"

"Yes, they were terrible", the screamer shuddered.

J-Dog sniffed again, wiping his other eye on his wet sleeve. "God, I'm such a fucking pussy."

"Danny is tough. We always talk about him like he's a child but he's the second oldest of us so I think he'll be able to survive", Kurlzz hushed, he offered his friend a bro hug which he accepted.

"Thanks. We'll get Danny back and fuck Deuce up."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	2. Stained

Danny's POV

I'm cold. So damn cold. My hands are freezing, but my wrists are burning. The position I'm in is highly uncomfortable so I keep shifting. The shifting makes the ropes burn into my wrists. They're bleeding by now. I feel the blood run down my hands slowly. The place I'm in is humid so it makes everything even colder.

A few minutes ago I ticked Deuce off so he kicked the chair I'm on. Now I'm lying on the ice cold concrete on my right side. It hurts so much. My right side is all bruised up and it hurts more than I can stand. I've promised myself not to cry so I won't. I won't cry. Never. My friends wouldn't want me to cry. They'd want me to be strong. Their love holds me upright.

My mind needs distractions so I count seconds while Deuce is out of the room. He left exactly 651 seconds ago. I've been stuck in this place for 3 days now. Three days have passed since I saw a puppy. A cute, little puppy. I had ran over to pet it but someone pressed chloroform in my face when I did so. Now I am here. It's unbearable. Deuce would leave for very long amounts of time and leave me with nothing to eat for 24 hours. I don't know if it's day or night.

When Deuce would enter, he'd make sure to mark his arrival by wounding me. I've got 12 bruises. He has entered 12 times. The first 4 bruises are caused by a firm beating the very first day. The other 8 were caused each time he'd enter. The second day he entered 4 times. Only once with food for me. The other three times he just took pictures to send to the boys. The third day, today, he entered another 4 times. He still hadn't brought me food. I'm starving.

As a distraction I relive memories. A memory from when I first joined the band. I was so young and adorable. The guys were so friendly and lovely to me. When Deuce got kicked out, they were moving on as a band with only 5 pieces. They weren't even looking for a new member but it was J-Dog who told me I had a beautiful voice. He told me I should let the others hear me sing so I did. They were so lovely. Johnny praised my voice, told me it was the voice of an angel. Charlie made some sarcastic, dark humor joke but I know he loves me. Funny Man wolf whistled when I sung. It made me blush deeply.

I've always felt special around the Mexican. It was just the way he acted. He was so… flossy. I have no other word for it. He's flossy and it makes me nervous. My mind goes fuzzy whenever he jokes around and grabs my waist or swings his arm around my shoulders. It's silly but I love his friendly gestures. Now that I'm going to die, I think of the things I regret. I regret not taking the chance to get to know Da Kurlzz better. Sure, I know him but we aren't as close as I am with J-Dog, Johnny, Charlie and Funny Man. Da Kurlzz is rather silent to me. It's like we know each other but we don't really talk much. I regret that. I bet we would've been a power duo. I really don't get why Deuce has abducted me. I've always shown respect towards him. The others hate him but I've always respected him. He made one album for the band and got it signed along with the other 5 so I can't hate him. He's still part of the songs we sing on stage. He still lives in Swan Songs. I couldn't hate him therefore. Still he hates my guts and kidnapped me. Why? Why me? What did I ever do wrong? The door slowly opens and I feel my left side shiver because it's bare and unwounded. Deuce is going to wound my left side. I feel it. He struts towards me. I know because he took off my blindfold on the second day. "Time to eat, little pet."

Little pet, it's his nickname for me. He shove a bowl of dog food towards me. He locks the door of the giant hall behind him and undoes the ropes which bound my legs to the chair. My wrists are still tied but I can move them away from the chair to stand upright. Though he won't let me stand. He wants me to sit on my knees and eat like an actual dog. With my ass in the air. It makes me feel watched. His prying eyes never leave my body. It's like he's scanning me all the time. He checks me out and I hate it. He doesn't even find it necessary to do it in discretion. He just bluntly leans away from the table to check out my butt.

Today seems different though. I lean over towards the bowl of food and still he looks at me. He scans his eyes from my upper body towards my butt and legs. He watches the blood on my wrists. "I can see why J-Dog would like you. You're quite the hot one and I can imagine you hear that a lot."

I don't answer him. I don't want to so he just continues talking. "Is J-Dog the seme or the uke in your relationship?"

It makes me jolt upright and stop eating. "What?"

"You heard me."

I shut my mouth and look at him with my sparkling brown eyes. He can't resist them. I know it because he had to blindfold me in order to be able to beat me up. Deuce gets off the table and leans down in front of me. "I was so happy with Jay. We were so in love. Then you came around and I just felt our love boat sink. You're more handsome than me. You're cuter than me. You're sweeter than me and you sing better than me. Why wouldn't J-Dog want you? I felt him slip away from me as soon as you entered the bus."

Suddenly I feel bad. I feel bad for Deuce so I do something I thought I wouldn't. I'm honest with him and I apologize. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to steal him. I didn't steal him. He loved you and I… I'm into Funny Man, not into J-Dog."

Deuce's eyes don't shift one bit. They remain sad with a pinch of vengeance to them. It's all I can see through that mask. He cups my chin in his hand. "You're a good liar. I almost believed you. You did do something with J-Dog. Sure, you can be into Funny Man but there was something between you and Jay."

I turn away and eat more until the bowl is empty. Deuce is still looking at me. His eyes burn harder into me than the ropes ever could. He sits down on the cold concrete. "Are you done?"

I nod and he pulls me into his lap. I immediately feel uncomfortable as he does it. He's taller than me but I'm much broader. I would've been able to push him away if I had eaten like a normal human but I'm weakened by the long days without food. I'm starving after all.

Deuce caresses my back softly. It sooths me but it unnerves me. Why is he being so kind? What is he planning or thinking? He moves his hand down to my hurt wrists and makes an unhappy sound. "You've been restless, haven't you? Your wrists are all hurt."

He makes me lean against his chest and I feel strange. What the fuck is going on? Deuce rests one hand on my inner thigh. "You've made your beautiful wrists bleed. You're so handsome and it's such a pity to stain your beauty."

My hair stands upright. "Though now that I've seen the blood on your wrists, I can't help but feel a certain thrill when I see your beauty being stained. I never thought I'd sink this low but I can't help myself. I want it."

He rubs my inner thigh and I have a nasty feeling what he wants so badly. He wants to stain me now, doesn't he? He wants to hurt me where it'll always be remembered. A spot so intimate I won't be able to 'unstain' it. Deuce's eyes glisten with mischief. He tightens his grip and I start to struggle. He's able to overpower me, just because I haven't eaten enough so I've got no energy! He lays me down on my back and keeps me pressed down. I kick and trash but it takes so much energy out of me. I can't keep it up. He's too strong. He's going to… I don't want it. I don't want to be taken by him. I want… What I want doesn't matter to him. He's just going to take it and I have to deal with it. "Deuce, no! please!"

I beg but he doesn't budge. He doesn't care if I want it or not. He wants it and it's the perfect way to take revenge. He wants to scar me and my fellow bandmates. He wants to… I can't say it. It burns in my mind. He wants to _rape_ me. My mind tries to escape the scene as he continues. I can't even fight back anymore. He's able to do whatever he likes. I just stare off to the ceiling and hope it'll be over soon. I promised myself not to cry but I can't help it. The tears leak down my face as I feel him enter me. I've been stained where it can't be erased. It's over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	3. Cry For Me

It was Hell on Earth. Ever since Danny had disappeared, their world has been continuing upside down. They no longer thought about the future, about concerts, music or the new album coming up. The days were spent aboard the touring bus in the exact same spot they were in when their beloved bandmate went missing. They hadn't left the city yet because they were afraid to let go.

It was strange how the usual things agitate them the most. When they heard their song on the radio, Johnny turned it off because they couldn't stand to hear the voice of a ghost. The worst feeling in the world was when one of their phones rung. Every time they heard it, things got conflicting. They weren't sure whether to be happy or sad. Mostly they were afraid to pick up. Too scared to hear Deuce saying: 'He's dead'.

Too scared to hear he wasn't not alive nor dead. The only comforting thought was when they think of Danny struggling. There was no way he'd let Deuce take him that easily. It was comforting to know he might've kicked him in the shin or bit him in his hand. It was silly but it soothed them a little.

Four days had passed since the first video. Five days had passed since Danny had disappeared. Occasionally Johnny or J-Dog took a look at their phone's screen and let out a pitiful whimper. Charlie, Da Kurlzz and Funny Man had learnt not to ask about it or they'd regret it. It was the sound of receiving yet another picture of their little Danny with a death threat.

To ease their nerves, they made up some sort of game. "What I'll do when Danny walks in right now!". It was a game where they'd tell each other what they would do if Danny walked in on that instant. His condition was unspoken of. They didn't want to talk about it whether he'd be half dead or bruised so badly he'd need to go to the hospital. They just thought of Danny walking like a healthy human, telling them "I'm back."

What would they do? The answers were a little divided. Charlie Scene had a nasty remark ready. He'd smile warmly and say: "Thanks for not dying on us, Danny."

Johnny pointed out he'd be too stunned and choked up to even say a word when their bandmate would finally return to them. J-Dog agreed on it so both men would feel too happy to even talk to their singer. Da Kurlzz said he'd ask Danny to sing for them.

The others thought that was a great idea but it would be a bit cruel to order him around after being kidnapped. Instead they agreed on playing maids for Danny and then hear him sing.

Funny Man surprised the others with his answer. They were all sitting around together. Johnny in Danny's spot for once. J-Dog, Charlie and Da Kurlzz next to each other on the couch and Funny Man to their opposite. He had a beer in his hand and sipped it quietly. He hadn't said a word in a long time as the others told each other what they would do when Danny would open the door and come in. Suddenly they all turned to the Mexican to hear his answer.

Funny Man absent mindedly stared at his drink and shrugged. "He won't come through that door this instant."

The others lowered their gaze, feeling the mood drop. Though Charlie didn't want to let that happen. He scowled at Funny Man. It was one of his trademark scowls. The one where you don't dare to refuse because it would set the touring bus on fire. Funny Man noticed the scowl and flinched for a second. "Fine, I'll play the stupid game while Danny gets murdered. I just have this nasty feeling something bad has happened to him like…yesterday or today."

"Don't think about it. Thinking about it won't help him", Johnny assured his friend.

Funny Man sighed and looked up at the ceiling to think. "I'd hug him and never let him go. Never. I don't want to let him go anymore when he's finally back. He can't leave me. How could he leave me?!"

His words escalated quickly until he had tears in his eyes and wiped them away with his sleeve. Charlie got on his knees in front of his friend and placed a hand on his knee. "It's okay. We all have our weak moments when we miss him."

The Mexican sniffed. "It's not okay! I'm not a fucking pussy! I have no right to cry when I'm not the one getting kidnapped! Danny is kidnapped! He's getting beaten to death while we sit around and play a game. Who knows he might be dead already? Why did he stray from us towards Deuce? Why? Why couldn't I fucking protect him?! I was the one walking next to him. I was the one, saying 'hey Danny, I need to tell you something' before he paused me to pick up his phone!"

It was strange how the others felt his pain burn in his heart. Though J-Dog couldn't help but ask about the things he just said. "Why'd he pick up his phone? Who was it?"

"I don't know. He stopped walking and hung up. I thought he'd catch up with us but he just disappeared into thin air. I didn't even notice!" Funny Man yelled.

Da Kurlzz and Johnny winced at his loud complaint. Their ears were ringing. Charlie was still crouched before him and wiped a tear from the other's cheek. "It's not your fault, Funny. It's no one's fault. He won't blame us either. This is all on Deuce."

Funny Man wiped his eyes on his wet sleeve. "I didn't even get the chance to continue my conversation with him. I had finally mustered the courage to ask him out!"

J-Dog dropped his jaw. "Are you telling me I'm not the only one who's kinda into guys?"

Charlie shot him another one of his scowls. "He's hurt and you care about his fucking sexuality? We've lost a friend to an enemy. He lost his love to an enemy!"

Da Kurlzz squinted his eyes at Charlie. No one saw it but Charlie did and calmed down. His curly haired friend smiled weakly and nodded in approval. Still no one noticed the small gestures between them. Like they had their own sign language only they understood. Though it was quite simple what was being 'said' between them.

First Da Kurlzz said: "Don't go down that road, baby."

Charlie obeyed by calming down, telling Da Kurlzz: "You're right. I'm sorry. I shouldn't get involved with their love life."

Then Da Kurlzz said: "Good boy, I knew you'd do the right thing."

What was the point in such communication between them? You'll notice later.

J-Dog shut his mouth and every sound just seemed to have disappeared, except for Funny Man's sniffles. He swallowed thickly and put his hand on Charlie's shoulder. "Thanks, Charlie, you're awesome."

Charlie smiled and hugged him nicely. "Danny will come back. Then you'll kiss him and you both will run off into the sunset in each other's arms."

Funny Man chuckled. "You too. With Da Kurlzz."

Charlie's cheeks turned bright red, Da Kurlzz' turning into a similar color. "Why would I do that with Da Kurlzz?"

"It's a joke", Funny Man stated, rolling his eyes. Johnny and J-Dog gave each other strange looks, understanding each other. So Danny was kidnapped, Funny Man wanted to declare his love for Danny and Charlie seemed to have something going on with Da Kurlzz. Suddenly Johnny felt outnumbered. He was the only one with a girlfriend. What the fuck had happened in these last 5 days?!

A phone bleeped, signaling a message. All of them checked their phones as a habit. Johnny moaned loudly. "I've got another video!"

Funny Man fell face first into the couch, trying to get a good spot to see the video. Da Kurlzz once again bent over awkwardly to see it from above. J-Dog and Charlie coming up behind Johnny. They all inhaled deeply before Johnny pressed 'play'.

The camera wasn't placed on the table. It was held by someone who recorded Danny's face from above. The camera was shaking. Danny was crying silently and tried to hold his hands in front of his face, but the cameraman, Deuce, held his arms above his head in place. "Now now, Danny. Show your friends your pretty face. They've got a ticket for the first row of this show."

Danny whimpered. "Please, just stop! It hurts so much!"

"I can see that. You're bleeding badly but it makes everything slippery."

"Deuce, please, please just take it out!"

By now Funny Man had stopped watching and walked out of the room. He knew what was going on in that video. Deuce was _raping_ Danny. _His_ Danny. He entered the bathroom, paced around restlessly. He still heard Danny's pained whimpers and moans from the other room. He couldn't do shit about it! He turned and looked into the mirror, seeing his own angered self. He roared and smashed his fist into the mirror, breaking it into a web of cracks with a red dot in the middle. His fist was bleeding badly. The others were so startled by the sound, they paused the video to see what had happened. Johnny put away his phone when he saw Funny Man standing in front of the mirror. Blood was dripping down his fist and forming a puddle on the floor.

Honestly they were all scared right now. They'd never seen him so furious. J-Dog was the first to clear his throat and speak up. "We have to watch it. Maybe it'll give us a clue where to find him."

Funny Man flexed his hand, it stung. He soundlessly opened the first aid kit and wrapped a bandage around his knuckles before passing the others and sitting down on his spot from before. The others were astounded by this behavior but didn't complain as they continued to watch the video. Not much was seen in the video except for the raping scene. Charlie and Da Kurlzz had difficulties to continue watching. Funny Man was in his bunk, telling them to inform him if anything important was recorded.

It was understandable. He just watched the love of his life get raped by their mutual enemy. They just hoped he'd turn out fine when this would be over.

Too bad fate had other plans in store.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	4. Dog Food

Danny's POV

They say you don't feel anything anymore when you die. I think that's total bullshit. I am pretty sure I'm dead. I can still feel things. Agony, pain, fear and sorrow. Agony: Deuce opening the door slowly. Pain: my spine is killing me. It feels like he ripped me in half. Fear: every day he visits me 5 times. 3 times to hurt me, once to feed me and another time to make sure my spine keeps hurting.

Sorrow: I'll never see my friends again. I don't really have time to dwell on their lives much. I'm too busy staying alive. Deuce leaves my wrists untied now. I'm too weak to resist anything anyway. My feet are unbound too but I don't stand up. On day 5 I would've stood up and rebelled against him. Now, on day 8 I don't even have the strength to get up.

So I lie on the cold, hard ground. My head feels hot. I think I might've caught a fever. The concrete feels cool against my hot cheek. It's a miracle but Deuce hasn't touched my left side yet. It's unharmed, unbruised, untouched. My left side is still a virgin. My intimate region not so much. The worst part of his rape on day 4, was the fact he didn't help me in the end. When it was over, he left. I was bleeding badly but he refused to tend to it. Now it's probably infected.

Maybe that's why I've got a fever. He must've given me a std. No, that couldn't be the reason for my fever. Deuce may be an asshole, he's a clean one. A headache kicks in. I softly moan and roll onto my front on the floor. The floor is covered with my dried up blood. The room I'm in, has a high ceiling and it looks like a car park, but I really don't have the energy to get up and explore. My stomach rumbles and I softly apologize to it for the lack of food. I'll die here so I might as well say goodbye. Goodbye mom and dad.

Dad, I'm sorry I couldn't visit you in Costa Rica. Goodbye Charlie Scene, Jordon, I'll always remember your drunk nights of showing your weenie to the world. Goodbye Johnny 3 Tears, George, I'll miss your father figure in the band. Goodbye Da Kurlzz, Matthew, I'll always carry it in my heart how you kept giving yourself new nicknames. Goodbye J-Dog, Jorel, thank you for accepting me in the band. Goodbye Funny Man, Dylan, I'll always love you. I softly sniff and hear the door open slowly. Agony. There it is. I can feel his eyes burn into me. I feel his smirk placed on his lips. "Good morning, beauty. How are you holding on?" Deuce beams.

So it's morning now, good to know. I grunt in response and he chuckles. "That's what I thought. I'm in a good mood so I guess I'll grant you a wish."

I don't trust the sound in his voice. He's up to something so I cautiously lift my head from the ground. "Huh?"

Deuce leaves and comes back with a huge plate. I quietly get up and turn my head curiously. Deuce puts down the plate in front of me and reveals a steaming hot meaty meal. I feel my saliva gather in my mouth and dribble down my chin. Finally! Real food! All hesitation flies out of the window and I attack the meal, stuffing my mouth with deliciously grilled meat. It tastes delicious! Though Deuce won't stop talking!

"I knew you'd be tired of eating dog food all the time."

Pause.

"So I thought you might wanted to eat a real dog."

I whip my head upwards and look at him.

"Woof woof", he smirks.

I widen my eyes, spit out the food and scurry back in disgust. "What the fuck?! Did you just feed me a dog?!"

"Not just a dog", Deuce smirks

He held up a leash with a nameplate. My stomach churns and throws up everything I just ate. The nameplate said 'Louie'. Deuce just fed me my own dog. I involuntarily start crying and turn away from the plate. Deuce makes a sad sound and crouches behind me. He puts his arms around my shoulders and holds me while I cry. "Hush now, little Danny. He didn't suffer much. All I did, was bust his skull with a vase."

I cry harder and try to wrestle myself out of his grip. It's no use. He has drained me completely. I'm an empty shell.

I feel his hands lower from my shoulders to my waist. It reminds me of day 5. The tears leak down my face again as the memories flash through my mind. He held my wrists above my head and hurt me throughout my whole spine. I kept begging him to stop. Why didn't he stop?! Now his hands touch me again and it's pure horror. He's going to do it again. It's only morning and he's already thinking of doing this to me.

Leave me alone! As suddenly as his hands held me, they disappear.

He gets up and pats my head. "Get some rest, you look tired."

I growl underneath my breath and try to claw at him as he walks away laughing. I can't reach him and I'm too worn out to try harder. Instead I lie down and try to fall asleep. It's difficult but somehow I manage to fall into complete darkness, filled with dreams.

A dream of how life used to be. A nightmare of how life is now. Deuce fed me my own dog. He ruined everything. When is this nightmare going to end? Is it going to end? My thoughts provide me horrible scenarios as well as victorious ones. The victorious one is about the boys coming to save me. It feels great. My stomach wakes me from my sleep. It feels hollow and empty. It keeps rumbling and complaining. My fever still hasn't dropped. I wonder why Deuce won't tend to the fever I have. I think this is a game to him. He wants to see what'll kill me first: the fever or the hunger.

Now I'm awake and I can't sleep anymore because I'm too hungry. I wonder if he'll feed me something later today. I sure hope so. As if he read my mind, he opens the door. His steps are slow but he's walking towards me. Every step feels like a puppy dying in front of me. He comes closer and when he reaches me, he crouches down. "Good afternoon, little pet. Are you still hungry?"

Afternoon? I slept until afternoon?! I nod my head but quickly tort my face into a scowl. "Don't you dare feed me more of Louie."

"I won't. I won't. It was a mean trick, I know. You deserve nice food. You did as I told you to: you slept", Deuce praises, petting my hair. Don't fucking touch me. I snarl but he doesn't mind. He gets up and comes back with a plate. My stomach turns again but I'm relieved when I see there's no dog meat on it. It's a healthy salad with salmon. Usually I'd hate that, but I'm too hungry to care. He puts the plate down in front of me and sits next to me in silence as I eat like a beast. It's strange how he doesn't say a word to me. I'm used to insults and mind tricks when I'm eating with him. I wish I hadn't thought about that when he opens his mouth.

"You should consider yourself lucky I fed you your dog."

"What?!" I spit, mouth full of fish.

"Manners, little pet. Yeah, I was planning on feeding you pieces of Funny Man but that seemed a little too cruel to me."

I sigh relieved he didn't feed me my love. "Good."

"So I sent him a picture."

Oh God. I'm used to him taking pictures of me while I'm beat up or make me say things in front of the camera to send it to them, but he never actually announced a message to me. What the fuck did he send them?! "What did you send him?"

I could feel Deuce grinning through his mask. He takes out his phone and shows me his conversation with Funny Man. It's a picture of me, asleep in the puddle of dried blood. From this angle it looks like the blood is fresh and it seems like I'm dead. You can see my ribcage through my skin. My shirt always rides up when I'm asleep, no idea how that always happens. There's a text underneath the picture. It says: "Oops, sorry, I think I broke your little toy. R.I.P. Daniel Murillo."

My blood turns into ice and I hear Deuce laugh loudly. No! He couldn't do this to me! His laugh echoes through the hall and he leaves me alone once again. Once again I've started crying. Funny Man thinks I'm dead. They'll move on and won't come save me. How could he do this to me?! I was wrong. People are right about Death. You just stop feeling anything. I'm dead. I don't feel anything anymore. I'm numb.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	5. Game Over

Since day 5 of Danny's disappearance, Funny Man didn't feel anything anymore. The rape video broke him. He was nothing more than an empty shell. An empty shell breaking his head over a good plan to save Danny of that beast. It was day 8 and it was morning. Unlike the others he was wide awake at 6 am. He didn't get how the others could sleep till noon while Danny was definitely awake, lying on the cold ground.

Funny Man lay on his back in his bunk with his hands folded behind his head. His face turned into a mean scowl as he tried to form figures in the small dust particles flying through the air in the morning sun. He blew into them, disturbing their peaceful flight. Just like Deuce disturbed theirs by taking Danny away. Again his mind wandered to the lead singer. He sighed and looked sideways to watch the empty bunk. The silhouette of his sleeping form was still visible in the wrinkled blankets. He licked his lips while he thought of their night talks.

They used to talk at night until J-Dog and Johnny angrily hushed them. When they still refused to shut their mouths, things got pretty funny. Danny's blanket always hung over his bunk down to J-Dog so he tugged it really hard, stealing the blanket away. Danny would loudly complain, waking Charlie Scene and Da Kurlzz. Johnny always thought it was a good idea to try it too and he tugged Funny Man's. The blanket slid off the bed but the Mexican was tangled up in it and fell face down on the floor, much to Charlie and Da Kurlzz' amusement.

There was nothing wrong with midnight fun, right? Now Funny Man missed it. No one smiled anymore. J-Dog spent his time ordering them around but the Mexican saw through the mask he wore. He was acting all tough and brave while he'd spent a few minutes crying before coming up to them.

Da Kurlzz was the real brave one. He didn't cry, he only comforted. He was their rock but still he could feel him crumbling under the pressure. He had to remain brave for the sake of Danny's safety. If all of them would crumble, they would never come up with a good plan and their precious singer would remain captive, if not dead.

Johnny constantly kept checking his phone to discover new messages from Deuce in vain. There were no messages. When he discovered no new messages, he'd type long and angry texts to Deuce with threats Funny Man didn't even want to repeat.

Charlie had the most freaky way of dealing with this whole thing. He stopped. He just stopped functioning all together. He didn't drink beers with them. He didn't speak. All he did was eat, sleep and repeat. Sometimes he halfheartedly offered Da Kurlzz a sad smile when his curly haired friend would give him a worried glance.

Funny Man got up and decided to come up with a plan. A good plan. A plan that would save their buddy and earn him a grateful hug. Danny was his damsel in need after all. He couldn't even smile when he came up with that thought. He got dressed, drank a glass of water as breakfast and took Johnny's phone away from him to re-watch every video, 2, and the pictures, 24, to figure out where Danny was kept. He was definitely in a large apartment with a huge car park. If he was being kept there, it should be an abandoned place. Deuce wouldn't want anyone to find him, right? An abandoned car park underneath an apartment. Why an apartment? No idea, he just had a nasty feeling Deuce was sleeping in the same building in order to be able to check up on his prisoner. In the distance of the first video he discovered something like an elevator but it looked broken. So it was apartment with an abandoned car park, underground because there was no daylight there, and a busted elevator? That could be anywhere!

Funny Man rubbed his eyes tiredly, though it was morning. His thoughts went a million miles per hour. Think. Danny was kidnapped within 16 minutes between the bus and Del Taco. Deuce was alone, shorter and not really muscled. Danny would've been able to knock him unconscious or break his nose if he'd got grabbed from behind. Which meant he wasn't conscious when Deuce took him away.

Deuce also said 'curiosity kills the cat and Danny sure was a curious one'.

So something must've distracted Danny from his path. First he got a call while the Mexican was talking to him. He stopped walking to pick it up and let the others go forward. Where was that? About in the middle between the bus and Del Taco. Afterwards Funny Man hadn't seen him anymore and forgotten about it. So Danny picked up his phone and when he hung up, he must've gotten distracted by something away from them.

What could it have been? What attracts Danny immediately?

Funny Man snapped his fingers. Only one thing attracts Danny more than a light attracts flies! This one time, they were on the road for a very long time. After four hours they finally stopped. Danny announced he needed fresh air and asked if anyone wanted to come. Only the Mexican had agreed to come along and followed outside. When they were walking, they spotted a lady with a bunch of puppies on a leash across the street. Funny Man was telling Danny a story but when his friend saw the puppies, he ran off like an idiot, screaming "PUPPIES! LEMME PET THEM PLEASE MISS!"

The poor lady ran away in fear but when she understood he only wanted to cuddle up to her puppies, she chuckled and let him play with the four little pups. So Danny would definitely get distracted by puppies. A quick sketch of what Funny Man thought happened:

Danny picked up his phone and let the others go ahead. When he hung up, he spotted a cute puppy or a bunch of puppies by the road and walked over to pet them. As he was petting them, Deuce sneaked up behind him with a cloth of chloroform and knocked Danny out. End.

Funny Man looked up from the paper he'd been scribbling on. There would be people who saw Deuce drag Danny all the way to the apartment if he was by foot. He must've been by car! He quickly scribbled it down. So Deuce dragged Danny into a car and drove off to the apartment. Still people could've seen it happening so there could be witnesses. Funny Man thought about it. They should go check up on the spot where Danny picked up his phone to see if anyone had seen him being dragged into the car.

By now the others were awake and threw a glance over Funny Man's shoulder before going their ways. Da Kurlzz leaned on Funny Man's head and looked at the piece of paper. "Damn, you're a genius for figuring those things out. We should definitely go check for witnesses today."

The Mexican smiled sadly and watched as the others were ready to go outside. "Where are you guys going?"

"McDonalds. It's lunch time."

Funny Man got up to leave along with them when he heard his phone beep. He took it out, a new message. Who could that possibly be? Deuce.

He opened the message with a dull expression. In a second his eyes widened and he dropped his phone onto the floor. The others turned, half startled. "That was clumsy. I sure hope your phone isn't broken, dude", J-Dog said.

Funny Man didn't react. He was shivering. His phone lay on the floor, screen upwards. The screen was covered in a weird pattern of cracks but the message was still visible. J-Dog blinked surprised at Funny Man's freaky reaction and walked over the phone. He picked it up and saw the picture. The text was unreadable through the cracks in the screen but he didn't need to see it to know what Deuce meant. He covered his mouth with his hand and looked at Funny Man's frozen form. The other three were baffled and curious to know what was going on. All three of them gathering around J-Dog to see the message. Quickly wishing they hadn't seen it.

There was no hope. It was game over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	6. I Don't Wanna Die

Danny's POV

Don't ask me why, but something has changed. Deuce's behavior. It's… How should I explain something I don't understand? He's not as bad anymore. Usually he'd come by 5 times: 3 times for awful pictures, once for food and once for my butt. Nowadays he doesn't. He comes by 3 times a day. Only for food with small talk. It's like he pities me. I don't get why. I do get he doesn't take pictures anymore because the others think I'm dead. Sending them new pictures would tell them I'm still alive. What I don't get, is why he suddenly gave me enough food and doesn't use my body anymore. Does he finally realize how bad his behavior was? The food he offers me, still isn't perfect but it's something. It's better than my own dog, right?

Because of the three mealtimes a day, I regained strength. I was now able to walk around, but sadly Deuce realized that too. He chained my left foot around a massive pillar, holding up the ceiling. I couldn't walk far, but I could still walk around. Walk around the pillar like a tied up donkey. How embarrassing.

The door opens and I can see his silhouette in the dim lights. He's got a plate of food with him. So it's afternoon already? The morning of day 11 sure passed quickly. He silently puts it on the ground and looks at me with tired eyes through his mask. "What?" he questions when he catches my gaze. I avert my eyes and start eating with my hands, in a sitting position. He crouches besides me. "How are you doing?"

My eyes cross his for a second as an answer and he nods contently. He gets up and heads for the exit.

"When are you going to kill me?" I boldly ask in between bites.

He freezes. "What makes you think I'm going to kill you?"

"Don't play stupid, Deuce. You know as well as I do they'll call the police as soon as you'd release me", I snarl.

Deuce suddenly looks really small. He's tired, he's hungry and sad. My guess? He's desperate. He doesn't know what to do anymore. He can't sleep because he fears he might get caught. He can't eat because he feels… guilty, maybe? I don't know but he's got pangs of conscience and is having second thoughts on this situation. He's probably sad over some memories. He wakes up every day in this shitty mess. He's reminded of the pain and sorrow in his heart from when he lost his friends. Everything was so bright for him and J-Dog. They would remain together forever. Then I entered the scenery and it was all blurred. Whenever he thinks of it, he feels a deep hatred for me. Then he looks me in the eyes and melts.

He knows I couldn't have changed his fate. He knows I'm innocent. Maybe that's what's troubling him? He sighs. "I know."

"When are you going to kill me then?"

"When I'm mentally prepared to", Deuce dryly answers before closing the door and leaving me alone with my thoughts and meal. I feel bad but maybe I only feel bad because he's the only person I've been talking to in 11 days. Yes, I pity him because I'm slowly losing my mind.

I wander back to the guys. I miss them so much. I miss their voices. I want to hear it one more time. Sadly I take out my phone. Deuce gave me my phone because I have no reception here. Usually he recorded me and sent it to the others behind that strange, huge, metallic door. I guess he's got reception there. Here, I don't so he didn't see any harm in giving me something to play with. Though I usually don't play games on my phone. I re-watch videos. This one in particular is my favorite.

The camera shakes as Charlie holds it clumsily in both hands, pointed at himself since the phone doesn't have a front camera. He looks drunk, but not shitfaced. He's smiling like a dork. "Dannyboy, hasn't anyone ever told you? You should always put a password on your phone because your friends will definitely abuse it when you're passed out! Yes, you're so shitfaced, you're lying on the floor."

The camera points downwards and I see myself, laying on the floor and passed out. I chuckle softly and keep watching. Suddenly Funny Man pops up behind Charlie. "Yo, Charlie, what are you doing?"

"I'm recording something for Danny when he wakes up. It's a reminder of his dorky friends who love him so much."

Funny Man frowns. "That's so gay."

"You're so gay", Charlie shoots an angry glare at Funny Man who backs off.

"Okay okay, it's not gay. We do love little Danny. I love little Danny", he admits shyly.

Charlie whistles. "You hear that, Danny? Funny's got the hots for you!"

The camera shakes even harder when Funny Man dashes for Charlie, spewing insults. "You fucking asshole. That's not true! I mean… I do like… aaaah fuck you!"

Da Kurlzz walks in on them, pointing at the fight and turning around to leave. "I am not getting myself involved again."

"Kurlzz, get your ass over here!" Funny Man calls.

Da Kurlzz freezes and turns towards the Mexican. "This isn't my fight!"

Funny Man turns towards the camera. "Look, Danny, it's Da Kurlzz! The one Charlie melts for."

The main rapper turns bright red and smacks Funny Man off of him. "You son of a bitch! I'll get my revenge!"

The video stops and I've got a silly grin on my face. Mostly because I have another video.

Camera boots up. Charlie appears with a mischievous smile. "Hello, Danny! Sadly you're sick tonight but I promised you I'd record everything so you wouldn't miss a thing! Naturally, I'm curious and I scrolled through your videos, finding an interesting one when you were drunk. I said I'd get my revenge on Funny, right? Welcome to Revenge Part I! I hope you'll enjoy your tickets for the first row."

Camera turns towards a bunch of girls around Funny Man. I feel jealous but shrug it off. He's talking to them, trying to impress them, asking if they've ever heard of Hollywood Undead. Charlie points the camera at Johnny and J-Dog. "Hey guys, could one of you hold the camera and record me and Funny?"

J-Dog takes the camera and points it at Funny Man.

Charlie dashes off and pulls down the Mexican's pants in front of the bunch of girls, screaming "REVEEEENGE!"

I hear Johnny laugh in the background and the camera's shaking. Funny Man's face is flustered and he runs after Charlie when he pulled his pants back up. "You fucking asshole!"

Then the screen turns black. I smile. Now I could happily die. I've heard their voices one more time. And I've seen Funny Man's butt, that's a plus, right? Too bad I won't live long enough to confess to him. I wish things would've turned out different. I wish I would've told him I loved him.

I wish I wouldn't have picked up my phone and interrupted our conversation. I'll never know what he was about to say. His last words to me were "Hey Danny, can I talk to you for a second. I need to tell you something serious."

Last words. What were their last words to me? I try to remember. J-Dog said: "Watch the doorstep, Danny, we don't want you stumbling, right?"

Da Kurlzz' words were: "You coming? We're having lunch at Del Taco. Charlie picked again."

Johnny's were vague but I think they were: "Unbelievable. Charlie, get down from there! Danny, could you get him off that car?"

I sit down against the pillar and think of what happened next. All of it happened before the phone call, before the puppy, before Deuce's chloroform. Charlie had climbed up on a car and Johnny asked me to get him off of it. Next I got on the car and told Charlie Johnny wanted him to get off. Charlie had scowled at Johnny's walking form and said: "Can I get on your shoulders? We'll see what he likes better. Me on a car or me on your shoulders, attacking him!"

Those were Charlie's last words to me. The memory fades and I think of the situation I'm in now. Deuce is going to kill me when he's mentally prepared. It's been a very long time since Deuce was in the band and he finally decided to take revenge. I vaguely remember my conversations with him. They weren't that long because he hated me for 'trying to steal J-Dog'. Still, I had talked to him.

And if there was one thing I knew for sure, it is that he'd never be mentally prepared to kill anyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	7. Whispers From The Dead

On day 8 Funny Man received the picture of Danny. The picture announcing his death. Everything happened in slow motion. All sound had been drained from the room. J-Dog had tears in his eyes and dropped the phone a second time. Charlie recoiled until his back touched Da Kurlzz. He turned around and hid his face in his friend's shoulder. Da Kurlzz wore a pained grimace and wrapped his arms around Charlie. He whispered soothing words but there was no sound so no one could hear him. The curly haired member wasn't even sure if he had spoken them. His voice was raw with sorrow but he couldn't hear it. He heard nothing. He was deaf. He saw Charlie shake violently as he cried against him. He caressed random patterns on his back and held a hand in his neck.

Johnny stepped backwards until the wall hit his back and slid down to the ground, living up to his name and crying 3 tears or maybe even more. Funny Man was frozen. His brain was shut down. He observed everything, took it in but it didn't process. Danny was dead. He couldn't process the words. He thought about them, felt them but he didn't understand the meaning. To him they were meaningless. They were letters. A combination of letters without a meaning. It was nothing.

All of them were in tears except for Funny Man. J-Dog shakily sat down next to Johnny, the two of them seeking comfort in each other.

Suddenly sound returned. After minutes of silence, every single sound was like an explosion. Charlie was sobbing and sniffing in Da Kurlzz' arms. Da Kurlzz whispering sweet words into his ear. "Shh, don't cry, baby, please, I don't like to see you crying. It makes me cry too."

"It'll be fine", Johnny sniffed, wiping his tears on the sleeve of his white hoody with blood smudges. Fake blood smudges. It didn't sound convincing and he was caving in again but J-Dog didn't mind. He leaned against Johnny with his head, getting an arm around his shoulder. "Danny's dead, Johnny. How can things be fine? They'll never be _fine_! He's fucking dead!"

As he shouted those words, Funny Man awoke from his meaningless state. Danny's dead. He's dead. He's fucking dead! Gone! Killed! Murdered! Slaughtered! Erased from life! Funny Man sniffed and shook his head violently. "No."

J-Dog, Johnny and Da Kurlzz looked at him. Charlie even shifted his gaze to him from his hidden spot against his friend. He kept shaking his head, he didn't care about the dizziness forming in his brains. "No! No! No! Danny's not dead! He can't be!"

It started off as shouting, turning into screaming. By now he was fully shrieking and the others were holding their hands to their ears. "Funny! Dylan!" Da Kurlzz screamed above the sound. Funny Man held his head still. The tears were visible in his eyes. He blinked, sending them over the edge and down his cheeks. "He can't be dead. I love him."

J-Dog and Johnny got up from their spot against the wall. They slowly made their way to Funny Man. J-Dog stood on his left side and Johnny on his right. They both hugged him. "We're sorry, Dylan. He's dead."

Funny Man broke down. His legs gave in and he limply started falling. His two friends held him upright and placed him down on the couch. "Calm down."

No one knew who spoke the words and whoever spoke them, regretted it. Funny Man wiped his eyes. "How can I calm down?!" he angrily spat. The four of them turned their eyes towards the floor and did everything to avoid his stare. Charlie grabbed Da Kurlzz' hand and squeezed it. He earned a squeeze back and slowly relaxed. He inhaled deeply and stepped forward. "Listen, Dylan, Danny's dead. We're all hurt. Biting our noses off won't bring him back. He's dead! Accept it!"

Da Kurlzz tugged Charlie back by his hoodie. "Are you fucking insane?! What the fuck is wrong with you? The poor guy loses the one he loves and never had the chance to confess and you go tell him to man up? You're heartless!"

Charlie shrunk until he was very small and pouted, a real pout. "Sorry. It's no reason to make us feel bad about ourselves."

"He's just shocked", Da Kurlzz growled. He was furious with Charlie. It made everything very awkward for the other three. Well, two. Funny Man was too busy killing Deuce in his mind. He cleared his throat and gained their attention. "I… shouldn't have snarled at you all or try to make you deaf. I'm sorry but Danny's dead", he hid his face in his arms with knees drawn up and sobbed. Charlie felt his heart break and looked at Da Kurlzz. "I'm sorry for acting like a bonehead. Funny, we'll avenge Danny. Kurlzz…"

Da Kurlzz nodded in understanding and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. He bent in closer so only Charlie would hear. "I still love you."

Then they parted their ways. Funny Man remained sobbing on the couch with Johnny to console him. He wrapped an arm around the Mexican and tried to sooth him but it was in vain. J-Dog excused himself to the bathroom 'to take a piss' but they all knew he was going to cry. They didn't care. Da Kurlzz sat down on the opposite of the couch with Charlie in his lap. They exchanged consoling glances and comforting touches. Funny Man was jealous of their love. No one 'knew' about their relationship. They hadn't announced it but everyone saw how they were in love. Funny Man envied their relationship. Mostly because the one his heart belonged to, was dead. Dead. Strange how the word suddenly tasted sour while they're called Hollywood Un _dead_.

"Johnny, thanks for the comfort, but I'd like to be alone and take it all in", he apologized. Johnny understood and looked at the couple opposite of them. "It's still lunch time. You guys coming?"

They nodded in unison. Charlie got up and invited J-Dog. J-Dog followed. His eyes were crimson but they didn't mind. The four of them left for McDonalds. Funny Man didn't feel like eating. He was motionless for three days. On day 11 in the evening the others were out for diner. He still didn't feel like going out to eat. All he had eaten in these 3 days, was some bread. The Mexican tiredly lay down on the couch. He closed his eyes and thought things through. Danny. Little Danny Murillo. He opened up his heart and let the emotions flow. Their feelings mingled. He could feel it. Danny had loved him in return. Why would Deuce send a picture to Funny Man if he'd been sending everything to Johnny? Because he discovered Danny's love for the Mexican. That much he knew. He felt the loving feelings in his heart but he also felt something from Danny. He didn't get how but he felt it. He felt what Danny felt. Impossible. He was dead. Dead people don't feel things. Funny Man opened his eyes. Next to him was Danny. He was on his side and looking into his crush's eyes. He smiled softly but his eyes remained sad. Thought the smile complimented his beautiful green eyes. His full, pink lips parted. "Save me, Funny Man", he whispered.

He didn't know if he heard it right. He moved his hand towards the lead singer's form. His fingers grazed his unshaved cheek. It felt pleasant. The tears leaked down Danny's face.

"I love you. I miss you", the Mexican whispered. He softly caressed Danny's cheek. The lead singer closed his eyes and leaned into the touch. "Save me", he repeated in a barely audible whisper. Funny Man squinted his eyes to keep his tears inside but it was a tough task. Still he managed not to cry. He inched closer to the other. Their lips were only a hair away. He closed his eyes and felt his hot breath. Then he closed the distance but didn't feel anything. The warm lips weren't there. He opened his eyes and saw nothing. There was no one there. The warm tears spilled down his already wet cheeks and his shoulders shook violently. Though the image was gone, he still felt something inside his heart. _Save me._ He felt a fuzzy feeling. He felt Danny and instantly he knew: Danny wasn't dead. He was alive and awaiting his hero to come and take him away from that terrible Deuce. The Mexican grit his teeth and felt renewed confidence flowing through his veins.

Hang on, Danny, Funny Man is coming for you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	8. Black Dahlia

Danny's POV

I still don't get what just happened. I don't even bother trying to figure out what happened. All I can think about, is how much it hurts. Everything hurts. My head, my back, my wrists, my feet and my behind. It hurts so much. It's day 11 at night. An hour ago it happened. At first everything was normal. I had watched some videos of the band and thought about Deuce's soft sides. The doorknob turned and I knew Deuce was coming. I didn't feel bad about it though. He was quite nice lately. I place a sad smile on my lips in an attempt to look cheery. I have no idea why I did, but he seemed sad lately so I guess I felt the need to be positive.

He slowly stepped down the small steps in front of the door and made his way to the pillar I was attached to. I was sitting with my back against it. He crouched in front of me. "Give me back your phone."

Not daring to disobey, I handed him my phone. He looked at it, tapped the screen a few times. His face devoid of any expression. Suddenly I heard a video play. He looked at it and a harsh frown formed behind his mask. I could feel it. He lifted his head to look at me and crushed the phone in his hands. I squeaked in surprise and stared at the pieces of broken technology he threw to the ground.

I looked up with my head turned in a questioning way. He started humming a song. It sounded familiar to me. I knew for sure it was a Hollywood Undead song but I didn't dare to ask him. I thought he hated our band? Then it came to my mind he was humming one of the Swan Songs. I recalled them since I had to sing them occasionally on stage.

Then it hit me. He was humming Black Dahlia. His eyes felt so cold to me now. I could only guess if he was grinning mischievously or not, if he was sad or not. He leaned closer towards me and took my chin into his hands. I felt a shiver down my spine and tried to scurry away but the pillar was in the way. So I traveled my eyes around the room to avoid his piercing light orbs. They fell on his arm, reaching out towards my face. I spotted his sleeve riding up and revealing a wound, a cut. Multiple cuts.

He must've realized I was staring at the cut in his arm because he retracted his arm real quickly and scowled at me. "What? You think Black Dahlia was a joke?"

"What?"

" 'I used to be love struck, now I'm just fucked up. Pull up my sleeves and see the pattern of my cuts.' You think that was all a joke?" Deuce growled. He scared me.

I winced when he got even louder. "No, it was no joke! And you made me relive it a second time! This is exactly why you deserve to die! To get fucked up! Feel my pain for once! It must be great. You took my place, shared in my fame and didn't have to work for your popularity as I had to. You think I might start to pity you here as you're kidnapped and abused, but fuck that! You deserve everything you get from me."

I felt tears prickle in my eyes but I told myself I wasn't a pussy so I wouldn't cry. I was frozen, couldn't move and was too scared to try and defend myself from him. I had my strength back, but still I felt as if it would make things worse if I tried to protect myself. I just let him yell and waited for it to end. It didn't end that easy.

When I averted my eyes, he forced me to look at him, humming the song louder. He moved closer to me and I tried to push him away, but he wouldn't let me. He grabbed both my wrists and pinned them against the pillar next to my head. "Let go", I whimpered pathetically. I struggled against his grip, tried to kick him away, but he held my legs pinned down by pushing his knees into my shins. It hurt like fuck but I didn't dwell on it. I should've been stronger than him. He was now fully singing Black Dahlia. Not even his own parts of it, but the complete songs. "You feel bad? You feel sad? I'm sorry, hell no, fuck that!"

I trashed against him, tried to shove him off of me but his knees dug into my shins and I felt as if my bones were breaking. My wrists were held tightly above my head now and his face was only inches apart from mine. Our noses almost touched. I saw my own anxious face in my reflection of his eyes. It made me desperate. I trashed harder and fought as if my life depended on it. I was able to knock him off of me a couple of him but he always got back up. "And I've been abused, I feel so used because of you."

It pushed me over the edge. I snatched my wrist out of his grip and punched him in the nose of his mask. He got up, took off his mask and covered his nose with both hands. He felt it tentatively. It wasn't broken but it was bleeding badly.

Oh fuck. He turned his glare towards me. His face contorted in the angriest scowl I'd ever seen. His teeth shining in the darkness and I could feel I was in deep shit. In protection I put my hands out before me and pressed my eyelids tightly closed.

A sharp pain made me howl. He had smacked my hands away, slashing his nails into my naked arms. Blood trickled down slowly and I knew I had to get away from him. I got on hands and knees and hastily crawled away. He was much faster than me, grabbed my ankle and tugged it harshly. I lost my balance and fell on my chin onto the concrete. My jaw was probably broken because I couldn't quite close my mouth right and it hurt like hell. It wasn't actually broken, just sore.

He pulled me until I was underneath him and turned me on my back. His eyes were filled with anger and chaos. He placed a hand against my shoulder and pushed me down against the floor as he started fidgeting with my clothes. Oh fuck no! I kicked him off and got up to run away but the chain on my foot was a tough reminder as it pulled me into a not-so-nice meeting with the floor again. My arms were still bleeding and the filthy ground did no good to them. Deuce hooked his hand into the hem of my pants and dragged me over the floor by it. In any other situation it would've been funny. Now it was fearsome.

He threw me on the floor on my back. My head hit the ground and I saw stars for a second. How could he have so much power inside that thin body of his? I'm twice as broad, still he was able to overpower me like that. He straddled my hips and strangled me with one hand while the other unzipped my pants. No! No! I screamed until my lungs were burning, I clawed at his hand until I must've hit the bone. He didn't even budge a bit. My voice snapped but I kept trying to scream for my life. The previous times his rape was quick and easy but I knew this time would be far worse and more painful. Usually he took his time and I just didn't want it and felt sore afterwards. Now he'd leave me in pain for the rest of the remaining time I'd be alive.

He grabbed my wrists and pinned them above my head. His eyes were full of revenge. My tears flowed freely down my cheeks. He pulled down my pants and his own. I couldn't bear this. No, please, someone come save me. Please. Please. Funny Man… I wish you'd come save me. Please, Funny, save me. Save me! I closed my eyes tightly and heard Deuce scream for me to open them but I didn't listen. I let my mind wander off to Funny Man. Come save me. I felt like he was answering me. _I love you. I miss you._ It made me feel better but that feeling quickly faded when Deuce thrust into me without any preparation. I was wide awake and out of my heroic fantasy with Funny Man. I whimpered and cried while he had his way with me. It hurt so much. Whenever I'd beg him to stop, he knocked my head against the floor. The whole world was spinning and I felt like dying right there and then.

Why didn't I die? Why didn't he kill me?

He finished, inside of me. White sticky liquid mingled with my blood on the floor. I shuddered in terror and rolled onto my side when he left silently without throwing a last glance at me. Finally it was over. It felt as if ages had passed between the start and end of this horrible thing.

For the rest of the night, I remained wide awake on my side in the eerie parking lot. The blood on my arms dried and formed a crusty whole. My tears made my cheeks sticky and cold. Now I was shivering because of the cold rather than the fear. Which brings me to this moment. I'm still lying in a fetus position, sobbing to myself. I've pulled up my pants but it feels sticky. I hate the stickiness. Why won't he let me shower just this once? I've been here 11 days and he still won't let me take a single shower. I wrap myself tightly in a ball, arms hooked around my drawn up knees.

I think I've learned my lesson. Never stare at his cuts and most of all DO NOT bust his nose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	9. Reaching Out For You

Day 12 and still they have yet to move on and get over Danny's death. Funny Man started eating like a normal human again now that he felt Danny's presence in his heart. Nowadays they sat together a lot on the couch. Johnny awkwardly sitting next to the bunk door and four of them on the couch. Funny Man next to J-Dog and Da Kurlzz. Charlie in Da Kurlzz' lap. They weren't even trying to hide their relationship anymore. They didn't need to. The only one dating a woman was Johnny anyway. J-Dog broke the silence by clearing his throat. "Now that he's… dead. I think we should call the police on Deuce."

"And tell them what? We don't even know where Deuce is."

"They'll do the searching for us. We've got evidence on our phones", J-Dog said.

"He's not dead."

Four heads turned towards their Mexican friend. "What?"

"He's not dead", he repeated, calmly.

Now he owed them an explanation. J-Dog nudged him. "How do you know?"

"Because I saw him", Funny Man stated as if the others were stupid for asking such question. Charlie threw his hands up in a frustrated manner. "And you didn't bother telling us?"

"When?" Johnny asked, leaning in closer.

"Yesterday night. You guys were out for dinner and I was lying on the couch. He was next to me", Funny Man replied.

All four of them sighed in annoyance. Da Kurlzz gave an angry scowl. "You're telling us he's not dead because you were hallucinating? Are you on weed again?"

The Mexican rolled his eyes. "It's true though. He's alive. He was sad, crying even. He kept whispering 'save me'. I just feel him. He's alive and I can't explain how I know. It's a feeling."

Still the others remained angry, except for Da Kurlzz. His scowl had turned into a gaze of understanding. "I believe you."

Charlie turned to him, baffled. "You believe that shit?"

His curly haired boyfriend nodded. "Do you remember that one time? You were hit by a car and I felt a sting in my heart while I was miles away from you."

"Coincidence", Charlie scoffed.

"No. That's love", Da Kurlzz smiled softly. Charlie rolled his eyes but couldn't hide a smile of happiness. He liked it when his friend was being sappy.

Funny Man disturbed their thoughts. "So that's why I think Danny's alive. I feel him and he's in pain."

"Of course he is. Deuce is probably beating the shit out of him", the eldest member thought out loud. Four pair of eyes turned his way but earned a shrug. "I'm just saying. I get jealous a lot too and if Charlie would kick me out of the band for getting cranky because of it, I'd want to kill the one I got jealous of too."

Charlie took his face into both hands. "You have no right to be jealous because I don't see anyone but you", he cooed.

J-Dog pretended to be throwing up. Johnny rolled his eyes and Funny Man stuck out his tongue in disgust. "Get a room, you two!"

Charlie shrugged and looked at Da Kurlzz, who got the hint and scooped up his boyfriend in his arms, carrying him to their bunk. Johnny quickly stole their spot on the couch.

"I don't get how they can still have so much fun while Danny…", Funny Man's voice died in his throat as he couldn't pronounce it. J-Dog swung an arm around his shoulders and squeezed him tightly. "You can't blame them for trying to cheer up. We'll find him and we'll save him. We can go ask around if anyone witnessed an unconscious singer getting dragged into a car. If there are witnesses, we can ask them which way the car went and if they saw the license plate. Then we can figure out if there's an apartment with a car park where it says 'no trespassing' and we know where Danny is!"

Johnny huffed and folded his arms. "I think you're forgetting that this is USA. It's filled with fucking apartments forbidding trespassing!"

J-Dog tapped his temples. "That's exactly why we need the license plate. The car park doesn't admit trespassing so the car must be parked in front of the apartment, right? If we know the directions and we know the license plate, we should be able to figure out which apartment it is."

The blue masked member hummed in agreement. "I do admit that's a nice plan."

"And then I'll castrate Deuce and take my leave into the sunset with my damsel in need", Funny Man joked. Johnny rolled his eyes but J-Dog held his hand to his heart with a sympathetic look into his eyes. "That's so romantic."

"God, when I see Danny, I'm gonna be sappy. I'll run up to him, twirl him around and kiss him", the Mexican thought aloud. Johnny gagged and held his fist in front of his mouth. "I'm sorry. I'm allergic to fabulousness."

J-Dog hit him harshly on the head. "Fuck you. We're going to make you fabulous."

"Try", Johnny dared him with squinted eyes. J-Dog wiggled his eyebrows and the two of them burst out laughing. Still their youngest friend didn't understand how they could laugh in times like these but yet it felt pleasant to hear their careless laughter. Like everything was back to normal. When he dared to let his lips form a smile, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest.

It knocked every bit of air out of him and he grabbed my chest with a keen of pain. The other two gawked at him in astonishment. "Funny? You okay?"

"Do I look fucking okay?" he wanted to yell but his windpipe didn't give him a chance to even utter a word. He could barely breath, every breath was like a wheeze. Danny. He had broken something and Funny Man could feel his pain deep inside his heart. It was unbearable. His body tried to reject the pain inside. He doubled over onto the floor. Both of his friends got up as if the couch caught fire and crouched by their friend's side. "What's going on?" J-Dog asked worried.

Johnny shook his head and wore a concerned frown on his face. "Funny?"

Suddenly the pain lessened and he could breathe normally. Still he felt a numb sting inside my chest. He was still hurt, his loved one. He was still hurt but it was less intense. What the fuck had happened to him? Suddenly he was scared. What if… What if Deuce had given him the dead penalty and life was slowly flowing of his body? Or maybe the Mexican had discovered a heart condition? No, it was Danny. He knew for sure it was his loved one. He knew he was in immense pain but he didn't know whether it was because he was dead or because he was hurt severely. Something inside told him it was a broken bone or bones.

"We need to find him quickly. We're running out of time", Funny Man stated dryly while the other two were worried sick about him. They helped him upright and Johnny immediately smacked his head. "You scared us!"

"I know, I'm sorry but I felt him. He broke something", the Mexican answered.

J-Dog and Johnny offered each other a lost glance and turned their gazes back at Funny Man. "Then we need to find him quickly."

Both Da Kurlzz and Charlie heard the fuzz and came back to see what had happened. "Is everything okay?" the curly haired man asked.

The three others nodded in unison. "Funny Man felt a major sting because Danny got hurt."

A silence fell between the five of them. Charlie decided to break it. "I don't get it. Why do you suddenly feel Danny? Why didn't you feel him before?"

Funny Man shrugged. "How should I know?"

He idly rubbed his chest where his heart should be and thought about the sting. Somehow he felt grateful he could feel the presence of his precious. It gave him hope . He wasn't dead yet. He was still fighting for his life. Da Kurlzz bit his lip. "Maybe Danny's only now reaching out for your warmth and comfort?"

He didn't know why he only felt it now, but he enjoyed the thought of Da Kurlzz' theory. It wasn't a solid one but it was a romantic one and lately he enjoyed romance very much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	10. Escape Plan

Danny's POV

I think I'm slowly losing my mind. No, I'm certain I'm slowly losing my mind. Maybe not even slowly but really quickly? Yeah, I'm convinced. I'm losing my mind pretty quickly. The only thing that's keeping me from going insane, is the band. Those boys. I love them. I wish they'd come save me. Day 12 started off pretty uneasy. I woke up screaming in terror because I accidentally shifted onto my back. A massive lightning bolt of pain went up my back. Damn it, Deuce, when I finally started liking you, you had to screw up. Literally. You screwed me up. Asshole. I hope you drown and die… No, you can't drown and die on me. Who would come bring me food, keep me company and have small talk with me? You aren't so bad when you're not trying to stick your dick dry up my ass.

Now it's early in the morning and I'm bored out of my mind. Maybe I should sing a song? No, I don't really feel like singing. To sing I have to be happy. Though I think I could consider myself slightly happy, right? Sure, I still shudder from last night but I've got this strange feeling in my chest. I don't know why, but I think I feel Funny Man's heartbeat. It's pleasant and it makes me smile slightly, though the smile melts away when my ass shoots another sting of pain upwards. That part is awful. I haven't seen Deuce since last night. What an asshole to just walk out and not stay to cuddle.

This is exactly what I meant! I'm losing my mind because now I'm joking about my kidnapper! I hate my stupid mind. I've slept a pretty long time but yet I still feel tired. I'm so tired and hungry. I just hope he brings me breakfast and forgives me for busting his nose like that. I did **not** just think that… Focus, Danny! I shake my head violently and clear my thoughts. That asshole deserved to get his nose busted. He deserves to die in a cold house with no friends around and no family. I don't.

I've been an innocent member. I took his place but did you ever see me gloat about it? No. I've been a very sweet, humble singer. I don't deserve to get killed by a jealous ex-lead singer. As if he reads my thoughts, the door opens and reveals his dark figure on top of the steps. I shiver involuntarily and shield my eyes from the lights outside. I hadn't noticed until now but the lights in the car park are a lot darker than the ones behind the strange, large door. That door's like a portal to me. I have no idea where it leads to. Who knows I might be in his garage. No, that seems improbable to me.

He slowly steps towards me and places a plate of food in front of me. I wanna sit upright but he forbids me. "On your knees."

I don't dare to question him and get on my knees to eat. It makes me feel like a dog again. I dare to look up into his eyes. He's wearing the mask again. His eyes are sad and red. Has he cried? I feel bad for him, though it must be my insane mind again. I'm starting to doubt my sanity. He catches my gaze and looks away. "It's for your own good. It'll hurt more if you sit on your behind."

I shoot upwards and stare at him, dumbfounded. Did he just…? Does he care for me? That's strange. What's next? He's going to apologize? No way.

"Look, little pet, don't ever stare at my cuts and don't kick me again or I'll do worse than weakly fuck you. I can make it bleed harder. I can add electricity in your body if you don't obey me, but I shouldn't have clawed you…. Sorry", Deuce awkwardly admits, rubbing the back of his head. My eyes widen. Is he serious? I had already forgotten about the deep cuts in my arms. He clawed me pretty badly and now that I think of it, it stings too. I just didn't notice because my ass is whining like an attention whore. Oh, the irony. No, insane thoughts, get back inside!

Deuce places a hand on my arm and I instinctively shuffle away from him, back to my trusted pillar. His expression in his eyes harden but softens again in understanding. He turns me a little and looks at the wounds on my arms. "Damn, I really slashed you, didn't I? My nails aren't even that long."

He rubs the crusty wound and hums. This time, he's humming Knife Called Lust. I just hope his humming doesn't shift to violence this time. He lets go of my arm and gets up. "I've got nothing to disinfect that in this building, sorry. You'll live, right?"

"Why are you so nice to me now?" I spit, not happy with how this feels. Yesterday he was nice to me but in the evening he suddenly decided to play the insane kidnapper on me. Deuce doesn't look shocked. "Fuck, how should I know? Guilt, maybe? Believe me. If I could, I would've murdered you already."

"But you can't? Then why won't you let me go? Are you waiting for the guys to find me?"

"They think you're dead."

"Really?"

He's hesitating but nods his head anyway. "I'll kill you eventually. Just wait for it. Maybe I'll just starve you?"

"It doesn't matter how you do it, the police will find you anyway. They'll find my body, the guys will point at you and you'll get caught", I dryly tell him.

Deuce shrugs. "I don't care. I care about revenge."

"Oh so you kill me, revenge taken. Then what? You'll marvelously feel better about yourself? Frolic through life like you're the boss? You feel guilty already so when you've pulled the trigger on me, it'll eat you away", I hear myself say. I don't know why I started going on guilty-patrol but I guess I'd do anything to see my friends again. Strange mind of mine.

I can see Deuce's eyes turning as I speak. He's getting angry again. I know I should stop. Why don't I stop? I keep blabbering about guilt and how he's going to get caught by the police. Do I want to get raped again?

He sighs. It seems like he gives up. His anger has shifted and an unidentified feeling is there instead. Like he doesn't deem me worth his time. Well, excuse me, but you're the one who kidnapped me, mr. I'm-So-Jealous. He walks away and the door falls into the lock. I'm alone once again. He forgot the plate. I get up and try to walk for a bit. The pain is agonizing but I try to ignore it. Be tough now, Danny. I walk around for a bit and explore as far as I can go. This is hopeless. I'll never esca-

I hear a sound. Footsteps! They're not coming from the door, where Deuce is. They're coming from the broken elevator. I try to run towards it, but my nose hits the concrete when the chain around my foot, pulls me back harshly.

Fuck you, chain! I crawl towards the sound, scream but my voice is hoarse from the night before. I had screamed until my voice snapped, remember? I call out but I don't get an answer. I see a silhouette of a person. He's coming up the stairs. I try to make as much noise as I can but that's not very easy. Stupid chain!

In all anger at the chain, I stomp my foot against the pillar. Something cracks and a pain I've never felt before, shoots through my body. Oh fuck, that hurts! Make it stop! I broke my own foot. Good job, idiot. On the other hand, I see this as an opportunity.

I twist my broken foot into strange angles to push it through the chain until I'm freed.

When I'm finally loose, I limp towards the elevator. There's a guy! I place my hands against the class, separating us and knock on it. The guy looks up in terror, screams and runs away. Fuck you, asshole! You could've been the hero to solve a kidnapping!

Beaten I slide down the glass onto the floor and sigh. I'll die here for sure. Wait… My foot is loose. What am I doing here? I should escape!

I get up and limp towards the opposite direction of the large door. Arrows point towards the exit of this car park. I'll get out of here! It'll work out. I limp up the ramp, underneath the yellow tape which seals the car park as closed. I can see the light of the outer world. I'm almost there!

Suddenly I hear Deuce yelling. "Danny! I'll get you!"

Oh fuck. I limp faster. Only 50 feet away of the exit. I hear Deuce's footsteps and dare to look behind me. I can see him already. He's running towards me. I get closer and closer towards the exit. 20 feet, almost and-

Deuce tackles me in front of the exit and drags me back down by my collar. It hurts. He's walking too quickly for me. I'm obliged to step onto my broken foot and howl each time I do. There goes my escape plan. I'll never ever get out of here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	11. Through His Eyes

Deuce's POV

You've done it now, Deuce. Congratulations. It was innocent at first. I was angry because Hollywood Undead was exploding all over the world and I was on my own with 9 Lives. I never did anything wrong. Sure, I was moody because I was jealous but J-Dog had absolutely no right to kick me out for it. A good boyfriend would've tried to solve my jealousy issues. He should've comforted me, told me they'd kick Danny out. They didn't. It was day 11 and I'd just got back from Danny. He was staring at my cuts so I got violent with him. He bust my nose and I raped him. An eye for an eye. That's how I saw it when I was doing it. As I slam the door shut behind me, I suddenly feel very small. It wasn't an eye for an eye. I had absolutely no right to brutally rape him like that and leave him for dead. The world is spinning around me and I slide down the door of my room in the apartment. The key of the car park burns in my hands. I pull up my knees and wrap my arms around it. It seemed so innocent at first. I'd kidnap Danny, beat him up and send pictures and videos to the guys. Then I'd let him go again. Now it was so fucked up. I need to kill him now. Killing him and freeing him will both end up with me in prison, but I'd rather kill him. If I let him go, it would be a victory for the guys from Hollywood Undead. I couldn't let that happen.

I had to kill him. Unknown to me, tears had started trickling down my cheeks. Stupid emotions. I don't want to be emotional. All I want, is my revenge. And my J-Dog.

How could I let that stupid jealousy break off my relationship with him? The one I've loved ever since I can remember. I know I'll never love anyone else as much as I loved my J-Pup. My J-Pup. I wish he'd come back to me but it's too late for that now.

I've been an asshole and I've kidnapped one of his friends. All cries for his attention. Still he won't budge and won't deem me worthy of his attention. I find it frustrating but I guess I deserve it. I rub the tears away angrily and decide to get some sleep.

In the morning I grab the key for the car park, put on my mask, get some bread and head downstairs to give Danny his breakfast.

I open the door and watch him quiver and shield his eyes. I'm used to his fearful eyes by now. When his eyes have adjusted to the light, he's staring at the door with big, wonderful eyes. I love his brown eyes. I can't kill this sweet, little pet of mine.

I put the plate with the bread in front of him and watch him shift to sit on his behind. That doesn't seem like a good idea when I think of last night. "On your knees", I quickly say, but it sounds bold and bossy.

His expression drops to zero and he bends over on his knees to eat. I didn't mean to go back to the first few days of eating dog food. I just wanted to help him, this time. Did I really sound too rude? Maybe I should soften my voice a little. He's staring into my eyes. Does he notice I've cried? When I look back into his eyes, he turns his gaze away. It's cute how shy he gets when I've hurt him. Too bad I have to see this cute side from him after such an unfortunate event. Maybe he doesn't dare to look me in the eye because of my bold words? I think I should smoothen them. "It's for your own good. It'll hurt more if you sit on your behind."

He shoots up in surprise. He's baffled and turns his head like a real pet. It's adorable but I still hate his guts. Yet I feel bad for him. Maybe I should apologize? Not for the rape, no. I'd never admit it wasn't righteous to do that. I'll just apologize for… For what? He's eating again, leaning on his hands. His arms are covered in crusty, bloody wounds because of my nails. That's something I should apologize for.

"Look, little pet, don't ever stare at my cuts and don't kick me again or I'll do worse than weakly fuck you. I can make it bleed harder. I can add electricity in your body if you don't obey me, but I shouldn't have clawed you…. Sorry", I awkwardly admit, rubbing the back of my head. His eyes widen.

He idly traces the wounds on his arms and I don't think he knows he's doing that. I put my hand on his arm and feel him trying to pull away from me. Of course he thinks I might try to hurt him again. I won't. I mentally promise him I won't. Not this morning.

I turn him to his side and look at the wounds. They look infected because of the filthy floor I dragged him across. "Damn, I really slashed you, didn't I? My nails aren't even that long."

While examining the wounds, I start humming Knife Called Lust. It's stuck in my head because I thought about J-Pup. Damn, I really miss him. "I've got nothing to disinfect that in this building, sorry. You'll live, right?"

That's the second apology from me. I think I might be going crazy.

"Why are you so nice to me now?" he spits. I guess I deserve that kind of an attitude from him. I think he's being relatively nice to me for what I've done to him. I would've broken my nose, ribs, arms and legs by now. Maybe even rip out my heart if I was him. Shove it down my throat. Honestly I don't know why I'm so nice to Danny suddenly. "Fuck, how should I know? Guilt, maybe? Believe me. If I could, I would've murdered you already."

It was true but I couldn't kill him. My conscious was in the way. Stupid faggot enemy got me kicked out of the band. I've wanted to kill him for so long and now he's looking all cute and innocent.

"But you can't? Then why won't you let me go? Are you waiting for the guys to find me?"

"They think you're dead."

"Really?"

Actually… I think about yesterday. When I was cozy and sitting in my apartment and received a text message. Who could that be, I thought. It was a text message from Funny Man. It read: "Danny's not dead. He's alive. I know he is and we're coming to get him, motherfucker. Bitch, you better be prepared cause shit's going down!"

I was angry when I read that and I went downstairs to see if Danny had somehow managed to send a text message to Funny Man. When it resulted into nothing, I crumbled his phone and got angry with him, raped him even…

I nodded. Liar. I'm such a liar. "I'll kill you eventually. Just wait for it. Maybe I'll just starve you?"

I felt like I had to protect myself so I did.

"It doesn't matter how you do it, the police will find you anyway. They'll find my body, the guys will point at you and you'll get caught", he stated

I shrug. "I don't care. I care about revenge."

"Oh so you kill me, revenge taken. Then what? You'll marvelously feel better about yourself? Frolic through life like you're the boss? You feel guilty already so when you've pulled the trigger on me, it'll eat you away", Danny dares to say. It surprises me how much energy this body has left since I've beaten him, raped him, hurt him, mentally abused him. I find myself admiring his strength but it also angers me. I would've broken down already. Another things that's so perfect about little Danny. Anger is slowly boiling inside of me again but I carefully tuck it away and get up. I sigh. Damn, being a kidnapper is tough.

I walk away and close the door behind me. Upstairs I flop down on the couch. Danny's right. This kidnapping isn't going anywhere. I only feel guilty over every single angry remark towards him whenever I wake up from my fury. It's inhuman how guilty I can feel about these things. I can't kill Danny.

Suddenly I realize I've forgotten the empty plate of food and decide to go get it. As I make my way downstairs I open the door and look for Danny. He's nowhere to be seen. The chain just lies there like it had always been that empty. Fucking Danny!

"Danny! I'll get you!" I scream and begin my search. Where would he go? He must've fled towards the ramp the cars used to take as an entrance. I run towards the ramp and see Danny round the corner. He's limping. Perfect, he won't go too far if he's limping.

He glances at me and I run faster. Right before the exit, I tackle him to the floor and drag him back down. I hear him howl with every step on his painful foot. He must've broken it to flee the chain. I admire his cleverness but at the same time, I'm making plans to punish him. The kid made me feel bad about myself for doing this to him, but all of that is lost. I feel like I've got two faces. A face of guilt and one of fury. The fury one takes over and I don't know when the guilt comes back. I don't want it to come back. I should end it with Danny. Yes, I'll punish him for sure and it'll be the final blow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	12. The Messenger

"Excuse me, miss. Have you seen a guy with brown hair, beautiful sparkling brown eyes and awesome tattoos getting dragged into a car while he was unconscious?"

The woman screamed and smacked her purse into Funny Man's face. "You creep!"

Behind the Mexican his friends snickered. "Nice job, detective."

"You got a better idea, Jay?" Funny Man scoffed and walked back to them. J-Dog nodded, pretended to shove them all aside and strutted forward to a passerby who was facing the street, her back turned towards them. "Excuse me, miss- oh, shit, I mean sir… Imeannevermind", J-Dog stumbled while trying to get away and the others burst out laughing at his epic fail. "Smooth, Jay, smooth", Charlie chuckled but earned a glare from his friend. "Can you do better?"

"Piece of cake. Watch and learn", Charlie grinned, stepping forward towards a guy in a suit. "Excuse me, sir, can I ask you a few questions?"

The man nodded.

"Did you see anything here on Tuesday the 3rd?"

The man nodded again. "Yeah, it was very strange."

"What did you see?"

"Sorry, John, hang on. This guy here is asking me something."

"Huh?"

The guy in the suit turned towards Charlie with a phone pressed against his ear. Charlie got pale before flustering completely and strolling back to the others with his head low. The others kept their faces devoid of amusement but were dying inside. If there was one thing that was generally known, it was that no one should laugh with Charlie in his face.

"What exactly did we have to learn out of that failure?" Johnny questioned with a raised eyebrow.

Charlie flailed his arms. "You try it!"

Johnny shook his head and stepped forward towards an elderly woman. "Excuse me, ma'am. Can I ask you something?"

"What?" the woman asked, shouting slightly.

"Can I ask you something?" Johnny asked, louder this time.

The woman nodded. "Of course, honey, ask me anything."

"Did you see anything strange here on Tuesday the 3rd?"

"What?"

"Tuesday the 3rd, did you see anything?"

"What!?"

"I said: DID YOU SEE ANYTHING!" Johnny screamed.

"Hey leave that lady alone!" some guy yelled and Johnny looked at him like he was caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "I was just asking her something."

"Yeah right, asking doesn't mean yelling", the guy discussed.

"Just fuck off already, it's none of your business", Johnny begged but it sounded rather like he was flipping him off. The guy disappeared and Johnny turned towards the woman. "Did you?"

"There he is, officer."

Oh fuck. The guy was back with a police officer this time. Johnny's eyes went wide and he started running for his life. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. The other four cracked up laughing so hard their sides hurt. Johnny kept running away from the officer but eventually the man caught up with him and asked for an explanation. When Johnny explained he was just trying to ask her something but she didn't understand him, he didn't believe him. So Johnny took the officer to the lady and told him to ask her something. He did but she didn't hear him and let him off the hook. Defeated he returned to the others who were in tears of laughing so hard. "That was priceless. Just priceless!" Charlie laughed.

All gazes pointed towards Da Kurlzz. "What?"

"Your turn."

Da Kurlzz shrugged and stepped forward to a young lady. The lady recognized him from Hollywood Undead, making him blush madly and she gladly offered him the information he wanted. Soon the drummer returned to the others. "So? How did it go?"

"She used to listen to us when Deuce was still in the band so she recognized me and told me she saw someone with his mask on, dragging a body into a car. She didn't think too much of it, she thought it was someone's bachelor party or something. They drove off. It was a red Toyota with license plate 6VBV562 and went southwards. She's got a photographic memory."

"Perfect!" Johnny commented, clapping his hands together.

"She also gave me her number", Da Kurlzz chuckled.

Charlie squinted his eyes. "Which you'll throw away, right?"

Da Kurlzz rolled his eyes and wrapped his arm around the rapper. "Maybe I'll call her. I kinda like jealous Charlie."

"Fuck off", Charlie hissed and shrugged off the arm.

The drummer sighed and threw away the number of the lady. "Happy now?"

Charlie clung to his side again. "Very."

The five boys walked southwards in search of an apartment with a closed car park and a red Toyota in front of the building. Or so you thought.

Meanwhile Deuce got a phone call. "Ah, hello, my dear messenger. How's it going?"

"I can't believe it but you were right", a female voice said into the phone.

"About? I'm right about many things", Deuce smiled, feeling slightly better than yesterday. Day 11 and 12 really wrecked him but he was starting to see everyone as objects in his game of kidnapping. Now day 13 was so much easier for him.

"About the guys. They were walking around in front of my house, asking if anyone had seen anything on Tuesday the 3rd", the woman replied, waking Deuce out of his thoughts.

"And you went outside and responded?"

"I sent them southwards to find a red Toyota with a totally random license plate. Convinced them I had a photographic memory", she dryly said.

Deuce cracked a smile. "Perfect. I knew I could count on you for that."

"Am I getting my money now?"

"Yeah, I'll give you the address and come by now", Deuce sighed, clicking the barrel open to see if there were enough bullets in the chambers. He said goodbye to her after giving her the address and hung up, swinging the gun closed again when he was happy with the amounts of bullets inside. Stupid bitch. She thought she was getting her money while she was actually getting a bullet through her head. Yesterday Deuce would've felt bad about it but today he saw her as an object. Nothing but an object, just like Danny. Danny was an object. The gun felt heavy in his hand at first but now it felt as if he couldn't live without it. It was a part of his arm now.

He kinda felt regretful for sending the guys southwards. He'd rather have them up with him in the north so he could chase them all with his bullets. He closed his eyes and daydreamed about it. Bang! Funny Man gets a bullet in his head, falls to the ground and Danny cries in terror. Bang! Danny dies next to his loved one. He points the gun at Da Kurlzz. Charlie begs for Deuce to kill him instead. Bang! Charlie dies. Da Kurlzz is miserable. Bang! Dead now. Johnny tries to be protective. Oh how long Deuce has been waiting to slaughter his smug face. Bang! Now it's just J-Dog and Deuce. He points the gun between J-Dog's eyes, hand shivering slightly. In his head he pulls the trigger on him but he can't imagine the scenery. With the others, he imagined them falling, bleeding, screaming, hurt. J-Dog's death is a blank spot, like his mind doesn't want to see him die.

Deuce curses underneath his breath, now he felt mad. Perfect timing for his anger, now he could kill the bitch and go punish Danny for trying to escape. A bell signaled the arrival of the woman. Deuce opened the door with a happy smile, guiding her towards the car park 'for safety reasons'. There he slid past Danny so he wouldn't see what he was planning on doing. The woman asked her money but Deuce only smirked.

"I'm gonna pay in bullets."

He pointed the gun at her and shot, counting each shot. "One, two, three, four, five!"

The wicked smile on his face would've scared anyone shitless. She was dead by now. He felt pumped and decided his plan for today, day 13.

He'd kill Danny today. Today was his lucky day. He'd get the death penalty. Poor little Danny was holding his broken foot in both hands and seemed surprised Deuce had entered with a unidentified woman. Don't worry, little pet, you won't feel the pain in your foot anymore when you're dead, Deuce darkly thought to himself. He grabbed his gun and pointed it at Danny. "Say goodbye now, little pet."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	13. Suspicion

Danny's POV

I don't trust this situation at all. Deuce dragged me back, forcing me to step onto my broken foot. He chained my other leg to the pillar and bound my hands together in front of me. In reflex I sat down and rubbed my sore, broken foot. Then Deuce disappeared without saying anything at all. That's exactly why I'm fearing the worst right now. He didn't punish me so he must have an evil plan. I've never seen such rage in his eyes than the moment he tackled me to the floor. He was slowly breaking, regretting my abduction and I ruined it all by trying to escape. He would've caved in, freed me, but now he probably feels more motivated to kill me.

Why won't he kill me already? My foot hurts but I think I'd rather be dead. It would be lovely to die right now. A bullet in my head and that's all. Yes, I would love to have a bullet through my head right now.

The door opens the door and Deuce steps through with an unknown woman. He takes her out of my sight but I can still hear the bullets. It sounds like finger nails getting dragged over a blackboard to me. I hate it. Soon after he comes back and points the gun at my head. My eyes widen and my jaw drops to the floor. "Say goodbye now, little pet", he growls. I'm scared shitless. I don't wanna die anymore. I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all. I'm sorry for thinking I wanted to be dead. Please let me live! Suddenly there's a filthy stench in the air. Oh fuck, I peed my pants. I whimper anxiously and shuffle backwards to the pillar. "Deuce, don't do this."

"Shut up."

"Please."

"No."

"We can work this through. It-it doesn't have to end like this", I beg.

The pure white fury in Deuce's eyes shift. He still wears the stupid mask but I can see that much of an expression in his face. His hand quivers and he drops his arm slowly to his side. "That's what I said."

I make an intelligible sound of astonishment. What is he talking about now? Deuce looks down at the ground, rips off his mask and looks at me with tired and sad eyes. "A normal day aboard the bus when J-Dog takes me alone and tells me you've all decided to kick me out of the band because of my jealous behavior. I said the exact same words to him when he told me. The exact same fucking words with the same fucking stutter. Did he listen to me back then? No, he still kicked me out. Am I going to listen to you?" he growls with renewed hurt in his voice. His sentence trails off but I know what he's trying to say. I close my eyes, say goodbye to everyone once again. Their images flicker in front of my vision. Mom, dad, Louie, ex-wife Theresa, Scarlett, Darren the drummer, Da Kurlzz, Charlie Scene, Johnny 3 Tears, J-Dog and Funny Man. The image of Funny Man lingers. Goodbye everyone, it was a pleasure meeting you all. I wait for the click of the trigger and the bullet in my head. I wait for the agonizing pain in my brain but I don't feel anything. Has it passed already? I hear a crack, a muffled scream and metal hitting the concrete. I dare to open my eyes. Deuce is lying on the ground, the gun further away from him. His wrist bent in an unnatural angle. He's trying to grab the gun but a shadow figure takes the gun off the ground.

Shadow figure, thank you for saving my life. "Kurlzz, take the gun and point it at Deuce, will you?"

I know that voice. I vaguely recognize it. It's the shadow figure. He's handing the gun to Da Kurlzz. Kurlzz… wait a minute. He's part of my band! I'm saved! Wait, is he part of the kidnappers? Possibly, I don't know him that well. I regret thinking that when he points the gun at Deuce with a snarl. "You thought we wouldn't find you, hm?"

Deuce looks absolutely terrified as he stands there. "How did you find me? I thought you were headed to the south?"

"Yeah, we were until I suddenly realized something. That woman, I didn't trust her. We headed south to misguide her, then followed her here. Right on time", Da Kurlzz explains.

I feel grateful. Shadow figure crouches besides me. "Danny? Are you okay?"

Still I feel like I recognize that voice. And I do. It's Funny Man. I stare at him with blank eyes, unable to comprehend what's going on. He's got tears in his eyes and I feel mine watering too. He grabs my shoulders and wraps his arms all around me. "I'm so happy we found you."

In my numb state, I wrap my arms around him and bury my face into his shoulder. He smells like cigarettes and I find myself enjoying the smell. More than my urine stench.

He kisses my head and I feel a warmth spreading slowly. "I missed you", he mumbles into me. All of the sudden I realize what's going on. The guys found me.

Hollywood Undead found me and saved me from getting killed. I look around the room. Da Kurlzz is keeping Deuce in place by pointing the gun at him. Charlie looks like he wants to murder Deuce. Johnny and J-Dog stand in front of me while Funny Man is hugging me. Funny Man is hugging me. He's hugging me! I crawl into his warmth, all the way in his lap. I ignore the pain in my broken foot and cuddle up to him like my life depends on it. After making sure I'm okay, J-Dog steps up to Deuce.

"What victory did that bring you?"

Deuce averts his eyes to the ground. J-Dog took it as a signal to go on. "Who the fuck are you, Aron? You're not the one I met, not the one I fell in love with, not the one I had a future with. You're nobody. You're what we sing about in our songs. You're everything that's wrong with the world. You're not even worth killing."

My kidnapper is in tears and I can't help but feel bad for him. He's on his knees, his broken wrist limp but his other hand reaching out for J-Dog. "I'm sorry", he whispers.

J-Dog kicks his hand away. "You're too late with your apology now. It won't save your sorry ass. Johnny, call the police."

Johnny takes out his phone and dials the number. The former lead singer wipes his tears off on the back of his hand and doesn't dare to look up at J-Dog. He doesn't dare to make eye contact. He's too scared to see the disappointed look in his eyes. "I just wanted you back", he cries.

J-Dog's eyes shift. I think I spotted some kind of affection but I'm not sure. "I pity you, Deuce. If you really wanted me back, you wouldn't kidnap Danny and try to kill him. You saved your apologies for now, now that you're caught. You're nothing but a rat. I'll never ever want you back and I haven't missed you for a second since you left!"

Deuce flinches and I know J-Dog is lying. We all know he still misses Deuce sometimes. He still thinks about him. About their secret places, their love, their care for each other, their memories. He's lying to hurt Deuce even more. What's wrong with me that I feel so bad for Deuce?

"Talking to you didn't help either! I tried to reason with you but you kicked me out!" Deuce yells. I vaguely hear sirens in the distance. J-Dog's expression hardens. "You deserved it. Now shut up or Kurlzz will shoot you."

That's not true. Da Kurlzz won't shoot. He's lying again because he knows he'll melt if Deuce keeps talking. He'll break and give him a second chance. He couldn't let that happen so he silenced Deuce with a lie. The police arrives. It's the same officer Johnny met previously so he awkwardly tells him the whole story; beginning to end. He even shows the pictures and videos. After having watched everything, the officer takes Deuce away and tells the boys they've been very brave. It's over.

I'm safe in their hands.

Da Kurlzz' POV

I didn't trust the lady who gave me the information. There were many reasons why. For one, her phone number she gave me, was fake. I didn't have the guts to tell Charlie I called the number just to check if it was a real one. My poor baby would get jealous and I didn't want him to be jealous. Focus, Matt! Also the photographic memory? That was a total lie. I asked her if the unconscious body had brown hair and a HU tattoo on his hand and she said she didn't remember. Lastly, she gave me a license plate but the plate was most definitely not right because she was just rambling the license plate of the car behind me. So I didn't trust her information but I didn't want to tell the others yet. We first had to make sure the lady believed we were headed south. Then…as she started walking, we went north. Good thing we went north.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	14. Take Me Home

Danny was finally home again. The whole way back, Funny Man didn't let him go. His foot was broken and swollen so he couldn't walk on it. Instead the Mexican cradled him in his arms and carried him towards the bus. It felt too early to kiss Danny. He would first let him get over this whole kidnapping and then he'd make his move. They'd live happily ever after. He didn't want to be his rebound after all. Danny shuddered but he wasn't cold. He felt unreal. Like this whole thing was just a dream. He was happy to be out of that hell hole but still he kept thinking about Deuce. Was he going to be okay? Would he go to jail? Danny was wondering about it while lying in Funny Man's arms. He felt happy. The Mexican was holding him, taking care of him. His heart was swelling with love. Charlie and J-Dog walked besides him, constantly telling him things of how much they missed him and how worried they were. It felt great to be loved.

Da Kurlzz even softly hummed the tune of Lights Out reassuring Danny they'd make the song come true. Johnny was busy on the phone as the cops were calling him. They needed Danny to tell them absolutely everything Deuce did to him in order for them to put Deuce away to prison.

Danny awoke from his thoughts when he felt Funny Man's fingers trace his crusty wounds on his arms. "What did that monster do to you?"

"Deuce", Danny corrected, "slashed his nails across my arms when I bust his nose."

"You bust his nose?" Charlie smiled.

Danny scowled. "That's not something to be happy about. He was angry because I was staring at his cuts."

"Cuts?" J-Dog asked, worriedly.

The others threw him an angry glare but he ignored it. "Does he cut again?"

"Yeah, he got mad when I stared at it", Danny explained calmly. He kept the rest of the story to himself. He didn't want to tell them everything yet. He didn't feel like it anyway. He was worn out, tired, hurt and his head ached. He felt Funny Man's muscles tighten. He was definitely getting on his nerves by talking so calmly about it.

The Mexican stumbled over his own feet, almost dropped Danny to the floor. "Watch it!" Charlie called as Funny Man fell against Charlie to hold himself upright. Danny almost hit the ground but Johnny took over, placed him on the ground. He supported his side with the broken foot and helped him walk like that. "Funny Man, what the fuck. You almost dropped him!"

Funny Man wasn't listening. He wasn't even there with his thoughts.

They finally arrived at the bus and finally told the driver to head for Los Angeles. No more concerts. They were headed straight home. But the driver couldn't leave yet. They first needed to end the case with Deuce.

A police officer came by that night, asking Danny to tell him everything he knew. The others were in the other room, respecting his privacy. Of course the lead singer was reluctant at first but after saying the first few words, a waterfall of tales came forth out of his mouth. He told about the dog food. About the rape. About feeding him his own dog. About the violence. About his escape. About the videos and photos. About the gun pointed to his head. Everything. Except for the woman and the gunshots. He wasn't sure so he didn't want to tell them that. Actually he was sure but he was just telling himself he wasn't to have a reason to keep it to himself. Sneaky victim.

Luckily the boys couldn't hear him talk about what happened. He didn't want them to know everything just yet.

The officer once again told him how brave he was. He told them they needed to get him checked in the hospital for his foot and further injuries. They agreed to do so.

Later in the evening they drove to the hospital. J-Dog didn't come along. He told them he needed to do something first.

Danny had a full body check in the hospital and was held there another hour to see if he was recovering psychologically.

"Okay, your body is in great shape. Your foot is broken in 3 spots. Your bruises are healing slowly. The wounds on your arms need to be disinfected but you don't seem to have broken anything else", the first doctor reported. Danny was relieved. No more broken bones. Yet he had to walk with crutches for a while. Fun-fucking-tastic.

The others had difficulties waiting outside. They needed their little Danny. They hadn't seen him in such a long time and were dying to find out if he was really okay.

"So Danny, how do you feel about Deuce?" the second doctor questioned. It was a female doctor with glasses. She'd got a copy of the story what happened and was checking if Danny was okay in his head.

"I hate him for what he did to me", Danny answered truthfully.

"Do you want him to die?"

He thought about it for a second. Die? No human deserved to die for the reasons Deuce had. He was jealous, lost his boyfriend and the band he had founded. All because of him. Danny felt like Deuce had treated him relatively well for someone who ruined his life. No, he didn't deserve to die. "No. He had his reasons to hurt me."

"Do you think those reasons were righteous?"

"I would've done the same if I were in his position, I think."

The lady made him think. Deuce was just depressed over losing J-Dog. Danny felt pity towards him and suddenly didn't want to hurt him anymore. He wanted to tell him everything would be fine. When he got out of the doctor's room, the other four jumped upright.

"And?"

"I have to get back tomorrow to see how I'm processing it all", Danny told them with a small smile. The smile wasn't truthful. It was a fake one. He didn't feel happy at all. He felt guilty for letting Deuce get arrested and telling the story to the police as if he was the bad guy. The police didn't know about Danny's behavior when Deuce was still in the band. He was an enthusiastic noob, eager to learn. Too enthusiastic according to Deuce.

He felt tired and wanted to sleep. As soon as they got aboard the bus, he went straight to his bunk instead of catching up on the others. They still couldn't leave for Los Angeles because of the case with Deuce. Another thing they couldn't do because of Danny.

He tried to sleep but remained awake for most of the night while the others were happily snoring. When he finally fell asleep, he dreamed of the car park. He was so scared, he awoke screaming and trashing. He awoke the others with his screams. It took them a full 30 minutes to calm him down and convince him it was just a dream.

He felt bad for worrying his fellow band members like that.

Funny Man expressed the most worry, which made Danny feel warm and fuzzy about himself. Still he didn't sleep anymore until the morning. Which made it more difficult to get out of his bunk, which was the highest of the three on the right side, with his crutches.

When the others were awake, they drove off to the hospital for Danny's appointment. The same female doctor greeted him and asked him a couple of questions about his night. Danny told her he awoke screaming, had nightmares and failed to recognize the reality after waking up. She nodded her head in response. The steel door of her office opened and Danny had a jump-scare. He thought Deuce was there but it was just the nurse. The doctor noticed so she scribbled something on her paper. He got outside and into the bus, with much needed help since he couldn't walk on the damn foot!

"And?" Da Kurlzz asked.

Danny held up the note in his hands. "We need to go to the drugstore. She prescribed me some sleeping pills, some shit to ease the nightmares and something else to calm me down. Shit, I need to take stuff I can't even pronounce the name of!"

"Or read it", Charlie commented, taking the note and trying to decipher the weird curls in the handwriting. "Does this word look like 'penis' to you too?"

"Your brain is a penis", Da Kurlzz snarled, snatching the note out of his hands.

"So I shoved my brain up your ass last night?" Charlie grinned.

The others laughed and Da Kurlzz turned bright red. "Fuck you."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

They drove off to the drugstore. The lady behind the counter told them to come back for it in the evening so they had plenty of time to fill before coming back. First of all they grabbed a bite. Danny was dying for some normal food. They decided to let him pick. Of course he choose McDonalds. There they took a table out of sight and Da Kurlzz disappeared to order. J-Dog and Johnny seated on chairs with Charlie, Danny and Funny Man sitting on the bench in that order. The crutches resting on the floor. The chair next to Johnny was for Da Kurlzz. Soon he came back, empty handed. It wasn't ready yet so they had to wait.

Danny gave Funny Man some weird looks when Charlie and Da Kurlzz busily spoke to one another in a language they barely even understood. They even finished each other's sentences! He wanted an explanation from his friend but he misunderstood and wiggled his eyebrows at him suggestively. Danny rolled his eyes and turned away from him. "Did I miss you guys getting together?" Danny asked them boldly.

Charlie froze. "Whaaaat? We're not together!"

"Drop it, honey, they already know", Da Kurlzz hushed him.

"Fine, but we got together like maybe three years ago", Charlie responded to Danny's question. He nodded impressed but Da Kurlzz snorted. "It's four years!"

"So what? A year more or less, you won't notice."

Da Kurlzz seemed deeply offended and turned away from him towards Johnny for the time being. Funny Man sneaked an arm around his waist like it was normal. The lead singer was startled at first but didn't think too much of it. It's normal behavior, he told himself and leaned into the embrace while butterflies filled his stomach and angels sung in his mind. He cuddled closer. The others shot each other weird glances. "When did you two get together?" Charlie asked, mimicking Danny's previous tone.

The two broke apart and shove as far away from each other as possible. "We're not!"

The four others laughed and enjoyed their meal as it arrived. The afternoon they spent in the city, deciding to explore for once since they seemed to be stuck here for a while. The streets were busy and only then they realized they were in the middle of the shopping area. Girls with ten bags and huge sunglasses walking by, Funny Man shamelessly checking out their asses. Much to Danny's annoyance, but soon he noticed even Charlie and Da Kurlzz were staring at her butt. It was annoying how they had to walk a lot slower so Danny could keep up with them, but no one complained. They hadn't broken their foot after all. They ended up in the square with a huge statue in the middle of it. People sat around it on benches. Funny Man ran off to the statue and started climbing.

"Uh, Funny, I don't think you're supposed to-", Johnny trailed off, but J-Dog hushed him and took out his camera. "Say cheese!"

Funny Man went for a gangster picture and put on his pimp face. Soon a police officer showed up and told Funny man to get off. The Mexican obeyed, not wanting to get arrested AGAIN. They hung around some more until it was about 6 pm. J-Dog told the others he had something to do and left in the direction of the bus.

"We still need to go get the medicines", Da Kurlzz reminded them.

Danny groaned. "I don't want the stupid fucking meds!"

"You have to if you wanna get better", Johnny told him.

"I'm not sick", Danny growled.

Johnny decided to lay off and shut his mouth for the rest of the walk towards the drugstore. The meds were ready to take home so they quickly grabbed the bag and headed for the bus. When they arrived there, J-Dog was nowhere to be seen. They wondered where he hung out around 7pm but didn't think too much of it. Danny disappeared into the bathroom and checked out his pills. One pill before going to bed. One pill after each meal. One pill each four hours. He moaned. His whole day existed out of pills to keep him sane. He refused to start taking the pills until the next morning. He was NOT stuffing his face with pills tonight!

Though they proved necessary.

He had one particular dream about Deuce which changed something inside of him, that night. He dreamed he was seeing everything through his eyes. He saw himself, hurt, and felt the hate boil in his guts. Guilt was finally too much for him and when he woke up screaming around 1 am, he took Johnny's phone, which was lying on the table. First he had the difficult struggle of hopping on one leg out of the bunk part. He wasn't going to survive that broken foot for too long. He called the police office.

"Hello?"

"I wanna drop the charges against Deuce."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	15. Beg To Differ

Danny only just hung up when he heard the sheets shift. "Danny?"

Oh damn, Funny Man was awake. Danny was still shaky because of the nightmare and turned around. "Yes?"

In one of the lowest bunks lay the sleepy Mexican, his hair looked like it had exploded from rolling around in his bunk. "What are you doing awake?"

"I-I-I...needtopee", Danny quickly rambled and ran off, limped off would be a better way to express it, to the bathroom. He didn't actually have to pee so he let the water run and hoped his friend would fall for it. When he flushed the toilet and got outside, hopping on one leg, he turned pale. Funny Man was holding Johnny's phone and staring at the screen in confusion. "You called the cops? Why?"

"I...", he was trying to come up with an excuse but sighed in defeat: "I dropped the charges against Deuce."

Funny Man, suddenly fully awake, shot upright in his bunk, hitting his head harshly against the ceiling. "Ow fuck!"

He rubbed the sore spot and got up. "Are you fucking insane?!"

"Shh, there are people sleeping", Danny hushed. Funny Man didn't listen. He grabbed Danny by both shoulders. "You dropped the charges against someone who kidnapped you?! What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

"Guuuuys!" Johnny groggily moaned, stirring awake. He rubbed his eyes and sat upright. "What's all the fuss about?"

"Danny dropped the charges against Deuce!" Funny Man hissed.

Danny flinched when he saw his flaming eyes. His loved one was angry with him and he felt bad about it. What should he do now? Johnny frowned. "Why?"

J-Dog shifted in his sheets. "Shut uuuup!"

"We'll talk about this in the morning", Johnny whispered, lying back down to fall asleep. Funny Man glared at the lead singer but crawled into his bunk again. Danny was shaking but climbed into his berth, attempting not to step onto his plastered foot, howling when he failed. Yet he couldn't fall asleep anymore. Another sleepless night.

In the morning the silence was eerie. Danny had fallen asleep around 6 am and awoke around 10. He got up and saw every other bunk was empty except for Da Kurlzz'. He grabbed the crutches and walked out the part of the bus and saw the others. J-Dog was on the couch with sheets in his hands. Johnny next to him and Charlie was making himself some coffee. "Where's Funny Man?"

The Mexican came out of the bathroom and eyed Danny. The other offered him a soft smile but Funny Man walked straight past him as if he wasn't even there. His heart sunk. He was acting as if he wasn't happy to have the lead singer back. As if he'd rather have him be kidnapped. The blue masked rapper looked up. "Oh Danny, good morning. We didn't wake you because we thought you needed the rest."

"Thank you", Danny smiled weakly.

Johnny shook his head in a calming manner when Funny Man turned his back to them. As if to tell Danny 'he'll get around eventually'. He wasn't sure about that. He didn't even talk about the night. It remained that way for the rest of the morning. Danny took his two pills in the morning and hoped they'd kick in soon. He could use something to calm down right now.

"Hey guys, why is Da Kurlzz still in his bed?" Danny asked.

Charlie looked up while sipping his cup. "He's sick."

"STD from you?" Johnny joked but only earned a glare from Charlie. "Fuck off."

Right after his comment he coughed badly and covered his mouth. "I think I might be getting sick too."

"Of course, the two of you make out like your lives depend on it at night", J-Dog remarked annoyed. Charlie averted his eyes to the other side of the bus. "You...uh...noticed that?"

"Yeah well, I didn't until I heard a wet smack, dude. That's gross", J-Dog complained.

Charlie grinned awkwardly. "Sorry, but hey! We kept it at making out this time, didn't we?"

Suddenly all eyes were on Charlie. "You guys fuck while we're asleep?"

The bandana rapper hummed. "Igottago", he quickly murmured, leaving the bus. The others laughed at his attempt to escape the awkward questions. They were wondering though if their fight was already over. Yesterday Da Kurlzz got angry because Charlie told him it didn't matter if they were together for three or four years. "What happened to their fight?" Johnny voiced.

J-Dog shuddered. "Charlie played the corny-card."

"What?"

"Together in the bunk, Da Kurlzz was still angry. Charlie went into his corny mode and told him the most corny, cheesy, sticky thing ever", J-Dog expressed in disgust.

"What did he say?" Funny Man asked.

"It doesn't matter if we're together for three or four years because what are those years in comparison to the eternity we'll be together?" he quoted.

His friends laughed. Danny took a glance at the Mexican. The other didn't look at him and when he did, he looked right through him. The lead singer hated it. In the afternoon he finally exploded. "I'm sick of this!" Danny screamed when Funny Man sat down on the couch.

The Mexican was just staring forward like he didn't hear anything.

"Stop it! Don't ignore me! Be angry! Shout at me! Hurt me! Anything! Don't treat me like I'm still alone in that fucking car park! Don't abandon me like this! I hate it! I HATE YOU!" Danny screamed, dropping to his knees in front of Funny Man, but the other still didn't acknowledge his presence. He ignored the dull ache in his foot as he hit the ground. Funny Man slightly flinched at the last sentence but kept his expression in check. Danny held on to the other's knee and tugged him to get his attention. It didn't work. Nothing worked. So Danny did what he did best lately. He cried. Thick tears of frustration and hurt. And as soon as it started, it quickly escalated to the hysterical phase.

J-Dog pulled Danny on his feet and held him upright with a glare that said 'man up, you baby!'. "What's going on with both of you?"

Funny Man frowned and looked at J-Dog. "Both of who? Me and who?"

"Danny!" J-Dog answered, agitated by the childish behavior.

"Danny? I remember Danny. He was so bright and alive. Too bad Deuce killed him", Funny Man murmured dreamily. The lead singer's eyes widened and he felt like he just took a hit in the face again and whimpered weakly.

"What are you saying?" J-Dog asked.

"Danny dropped the charges against Deuce. I'm just acting the way it could've been if we hadn't been in time. Next time we won't be in time", Funny Man warned, shooting his secret loved one a deadly glare. "How the fuck could you drop the charges against him? He fucking hurt you! We don't even know what else he did to you! He poisoned you with his lies!"

Danny shook his head. "No, you're looking at it the wrong way. Imagine the person you love with all your heart."

"Done", Funny Man said immediately, face straight. J-Dog chuckled but kept his mouth shut.

"Imagine someone new meeting them. You're jealous."

"Yeah?"

"Yet the one you love choses to stay with the one you're jealous of and breaks up with you", Danny stated.

Funny Man lowered his head. "Anyone would want to kill the fucker responsible, I guess."

"There you go. That's exactly how Deuce thought", Danny explained.

J-Dog shot his head up. "Now that I think of it. I have somewhere to be."

He let go of Danny and handed him his crutches. He walked straight past Johnny who eyed him suspiciously but he kept his mouth shut. If there was anything to worry about, he'd tell them. Charlie was in the bunk part to take care of Da Kurlzz for some time. He figured his boyfriend could use some company. Which meant Funny Man, Danny and Johnny were the only ones in the main part of the bus. The Mexican moved his head stubbornly. "He hurt you."

"I would've done the same in his position", Danny stated.

Funny Man's scowl turned into a sad frown and he patted the seat next to him invitingly. "Come here."

The lead singer took place next to his friend and awaited what he was about to say on the situation. He didn't seem angry anymore, rather sad. "Are you absolutely sure you want to drop the charges?"

It was a question, yet Danny knew if he answered affirmatively, the other would be angry with him once again. "I'll reconsider", Danny whispered.

Funny Man smiled and wrapped an arm around his friend. "Thanks. I knew you'd make the right choice."

"I'm only doing it for you, Funny", Danny complained, trying to get the other to feel guilty about. To no avail, it only stroked his ego more. "My, I must be precious to you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	16. Baucis And Philemon

The next day was a little more silent. The morning still started with Danny's screaming nightmares, despite what the medication promised. Still, they all comforted him until he was calm again. Even Da Kurlzz because he was feeling better now. In the evening J-Dog left again and came back after 2 hours. They still couldn't leave for Los Angeles as long as things weren't solved with Deuce. After Funny Man and Danny's fight, things calmed down. Danny called the cops again, telling them he wanted to reconsider dropping the charges for a few days. He actually didn't want to reconsider but he also didn't want to push the Mexican away from him so he had to keep him happy. Da Kurlzz and Charlie had decided to catch a movie at the theater. They weren't coming back until midnight.

Danny was in his bunk and Funny Man was getting the four of them some food. Meanwhile J-Dog sat down on the couch and Johnny took a seat in front of him. It was awfully silent between the two of them. J-Dog frowned, trying to think of something he may have said that pissed the other off. His friend was never that quiet towards him.

Finally he revealed the reason for his silence. "I know you've been visiting Deuce."

He lit a cigarette, though it wasn't allowed inside the bus. He apparently really needed one. His friend raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Did you follow me?"

"No, lucky guess. What are you hoping to accomplish, Jay? Why do you visit him? Don't you hate him for kidnapping Danny?" Johnny inundated him with questions. The other simply shrugged. "Of course I don't like what he did to Danny."

"Then why do you visit him?"

"Do you know the story of Baucis and Philemon?" J-Dog interrupted.

Johnny frowned and shook his head. He took a long drag of his cigarette and blew it towards J-Dog. "How should I know that story?"

"I just thought you read much so you'd know the story. It's a Roman myth", J-Dog answered.

When Johnny's face remained blank, his friend started telling the story.

"The two Gods, Zeus and his son, Hermes, descended from Olympus in mortal shape to test the hospitality of the inhabitants. Doors remained closed until they came by a very small home. The home of the elderly couple Baucis and Philemon. They were poor but happy because they grew old together out of love and care. They only had each other, no one else. Yet they tried to offer their guests as much luxury as they could. Zeus told them they were Gods and they'd punish the neighborhood for refusing them shelter. He gave the couple a chance to escape by traveling with them. The couple complied and on top of the mountain Zeus asked them what they wished for. Philemon told them he couldn't imagine a life without Baucis so he wanted Death to come for them at the same hour so that he'd never have to be buried by his wife and never have to see her grave. As promised they both shape-shifted into trees when their hour came, saying their last goodbyes at the same time."

Johnny was puzzled and didn't get why J-Dog told him that story. He didn't even know he was into Greek mythology or any of those stories. How did he get to that story? It was beautiful, yet he didn't know what it had to do with any of this. "What's your point?"

"Philemon doesn't want to live without Baucis. Their love binds them together for life. Unfortunately the one I've bonded my heart to, has strayed from his path of light and is walking down an endless road of revenge and depression", J-Dog whispered the last part with closed eyes.

The blue masked rapper dropped his jaw. He never saw this side of his friend. "So you still love him?"

"It's a once in a lifetime thing, dude. After five fucking years I'm still not over him", J-Dog complained, lowering his head into his arms and pouting. That's the friend he knew. The one who didn't quote the Roman myths or spoke poetically. Not that he didn't like his poetic side.

"What do you talk about with Deuce?" Johnny wondered.

J-Dog shrugged. "Small talk mostly. We're both ignoring the elephant in the room. I just can't bring it up to talk to him about the kidnapping, about what I said to him and about the past. I can't. Remember the venom in his eyes when we kicked him out?"

"Yeah, how could I forget?" the other shuddered.

"It's gone. When he looks at me, his eyes are empty but I can see a spark of sorrow and regret, of the battles he has lost. I think he learned his lesson. This kidnapping took too much out of him. He's worn out. He just wants to go home and cry about it", J-Dog explained, using his hands to emphasize his point.

Johnny raised an eyebrow. "He told you all that?"

"No. Like I said. We ignore that subject. A boyfriend, ex though, feels such things."

"Not you too!" Johnny moaned his complaint.

"What?"

"You feel him too already? Kurlzz feels it when Charlie gets hurt, Funny Man felt Danny was alive and you feel he's depressed? Why don't I ever feel anything from my wife?" Johnny ranted.

J-Dog chuckled. "She's a woman. Men and women don't understand each other like men do. You don't feel her because you don't get her like you get yourself or us."

For the second time that evening Johnny's jaw hit the floor. "That theory could actually be true."

J-Dog laughed and Funny Man arrived. "Food, bitches!"

He put it on the table in front of them. "Man, that line was huge! If I had forgotten my wallet, I would've raged."

The two of them laughed at the remark. The Mexican disappeared into the bunk part. "C'mon, little Danny, get your ass up and come e-..."

"Funny Man?"

"Shhh!" Funny Man hushed as he rushed out. "Danny's FINALLY getting come sleep."

Johnny and J-Dog looked at each other with knowing glances. "Why don't you just get together with him already?" Johnny complained.

Funny Man took a seat and grabbed his share of the meal. "Well, because... I don't know if he returns the feelings."

"Bullshit! He's trying to hold back to just jump into your lap or fucking kiss you already!" J-Dog exclaimed.

"Fine. Danny's still processing the whole thing with Deuce and I don't want him to get together with me, just because he needs support. I don't want him to tell me he doesn't need me anymore when he's fine in his head again", Funny Man mumbled.

"Understandable", Johnny reacted, poking his fork into his plate.

"I don't get that", J-Dog said.

"Well, it's not like Danny's really... normal right now, is he? I mean, the kid's got problems in his head. Like the nightmares, the dropped charges, the screaming, the disability to recognize reality. He's got serious problems", Funny Man expressed.

"That's how you think of me? I'm insane?" Danny whispered in the door opening, looking quite pathetic with the crutches under his arms.

The Mexican shot upright and stepped towards the other. "What? No!"

Danny held his hand up as a sign he'd get real problems if he took one more step. "No, it's fine. Everything is fine. I'll man up and get over the fact I got kidnapped. It's just a kidnapping. It's not like I died. I only got abused and raped over and over again!" he screamed in the other's face. His hands quivered as he remembered the agony, pain, fear and sorrow. The metallic door creaking as it opened. The dark silhouette in the light outside. The grey mask with the pink tape over it. It all felt so real. He had to get out of there. "Don't worry, Funny Man, you won't have to babysit me anymore. You can stop pretending you give a shit about me", Danny hissed before storming, wobbling on crutches, outside.

An alarm went off inside the Mexican's head when Danny left the bus. This couldn't end well if he just stayed here. Instead he took off to find him and take him back here. Johnny and J-Dog yelled for Funny Man to stay here but he didn't listen. He received a text message, multiple text messages. J-Dog's: _Get your ass back here!_

Johnny's: _Leave him!_

He ignored it and ran on. Further on he saw Danny's figure, running at light speed, stepping on his broken foot like he didn't care anymore. He followed and kept rounding corners until he finally lost him. He was nowhere to be seen in the mass of people. Nowhere. So Funny Man wandered around the streets, calling his name like he was calling for a lost dog. He kept walking until his feet hurt. The streets were empty and the night had already fallen. " _I see the streets burn, every time I fall asleep. I'm losing all my sanity_ ", Funny Man murmured to himself. Unknowingly he passed a dark alley were Danny was hiding, desperately holding his breath so the other wouldn't hear him. He didn't and moved on. And on. And on. Around midnight he returned to the bus, encountering Da Kurlzz and Charlie on his way. It had started raining and the Mexican had been stupid enough to forget a jacket. He was cold and shivering. Charlie lend him his jacket and crawled closer to Da Kurlzz to keep himself warm. "What are you doing out here?"

"Danny... He overheard us talking about his problems and ran off", Funny Man spilled.

The curly haired man made a pained sound. "That's big. When did that happen?"

"Around 7pm."

Charlie and Da Kurlzz gave each other amazed looks. "That's five hours of searching."

They made their way back to the bus. "I couldn't find Danny", Funny Man pouted.

"No shit. He arrived five minutes ago and locked himself in the bathroom", J-Dog sighed.

Funny Man rushed to the bathroom door and knocked harshly. "Danny?! Let me in, please!"

"Go fuck yourself!" came the response.

Funny Man threw up his arms in frustration. "Danny, open the fucking door if you want me to spare you!"

"Don't spare me. Kill me, end my pain."

Charlie made a shocked face. "You don't mean that, Dannyboy. Let me in. I never said I thought you were insane."

"Neither did they but now that you've said it, it's added to lists of drags for you about me", Danny spat.

Funny Man was tired of this shit. He stepped back and burst his foot through the door. It stung in his leg but he made a hole in it. The others stared at the show of strength. "How did you...?" Johnny begun.

"Power of love", Funny Man winked, he turned the lock from the inside out and found Danny in the corner, trying to get away. He was startled because of the door and scared to death. "Leave me alone."

The Mexican towered over him and crouched, reaching out for his friend. He cupped his chin in his hand. "You scare us, little Danny. You scare **me**."

Danny sniffed. "I scare myself too."

"Then let me help you", Funny Man whispered, leaning in close and pressing his lips against the other. Danny's eyes widened but soon his muscles relaxed and he wrapped his arms around the other's neck. It was a desperate kiss. One that told the other 'don't you ever let me go'. They broke apart much to their dismay. They shared a look before Danny practically jumped into Funny Man's arms. "I'm sorry. I don't want to be such a drag to you all."

"You're not a drag. We love you. _I love you_ ", Funny Man promised, holding Danny tightly into his arms. He hated how helpless he had felt when Danny was kidnapped and lost. He would never let him go. Never again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	17. Hold Me

Danny took his pills after the midnight event and went straight to bed. His usually mind full of sorrow and pain, was now filled with lovely thoughts about Funny Man. They kissed. He felt like he was on cloud nine. The one he has loved for so long, loved him in return. He wrapped himself up in blankets and closed his eyes, mentally saying good night to Funny Man. The others were still awake, debating what just happened with Danny.

"I thought you were going to wait?" Johnny asked.

The Mexican shrugged. "I had to do something! I got scared and I just had to...calm him down, y'know?"

"That's not the way to calm someone down, bro", Charlie sighed, shaking his head. He said his goodnight to everyone and dragged Da Kurlzz along with him to their bunk. Yes, THEIR bunk. The two had 'moved in' together. Once again J-Dog, Johnny and Funny Man were alone. "What are you going to do now? Danny's _really_ happy about the two of you getting together."

"I'll take care of him. I have to. I'm his boyfriend now", Funny Man answered. Soon he made a weird face. "Holy fuck, I've got a boyfriend. I never thought I'd say that!"

Johnny held a straight face. "You five may play for the same team suddenly, but I am NOT changing."

"It's not like we had a choice", J-Dog stated, rolling his eyes in annoyance. "It just happened, you know?"

"Yeah, you think I choose to suddenly like Danny? I can't help it he's cute", Funny Man complained. For the second time that night he made a weird face at his own words. He really didn't sound like himself when he was talking about Danny. Meanwhile J-Dog and Johnny's conversation had moved on to the subject of Danny and Funny Man again.

"I'd be careful, dude. One wrong move and you'll destroy him", J-Dog warned.

The Mexican waved it off. "I won't make a wrong move. I'll do anything it takes to take care of him and support him. It's not like he's insane? He's still little Dannyboy, only with some post traumatic behavior."

"Some?" Johnny repeated skeptically.

Funny Man winced at the sound of that. "He just needs some King Kong love!"

"Whatever you say, bro", J-Dog warned him with a sigh.

Sick and tired of all this drama and their doubts in his relationship, he got on his feet and mumbled a good night. In the bunk part he stripped into his boxers and got into his own bed. As soon as he lied down he got back up, climbed a bunk higher and kissed Danny's forehead. "Good night, Danny."

The lead singer mumbled something in his sleep but he couldn't quite catch it so he got back in his own bunk and fell asleep. He didn't even notice J-Dog and Johnny coming to bed some time later. He did notice it was 2 am when he first woke up. He didn't realize what awoke him but the others were also awake, staring at him with begging eyes. Only then he acknowledged a shrill scream coming from the bunk above. The others were awake but didn't do anything to calm Danny down. Why not? Was he suddenly Funny Man's territory? The Mexican all but fell out of his bunk and reached upwards to climb onto the bunks and see what was going on. It didn't take long before he was knocked to the floor by a flying arm. It was obvious he was in panic.

Funny Man huffed in annoyance and climbed it again. This time he managed to dodge the flailing limbs. He wrapped his arms tightly around Danny to cease his movements. "Danny! Stop it!" he commanded in a whisper.

The leader singer whimpered and hid his face into his chest. "Don't hurt me."

"I won't", Funny Man promised. He dared to loosen his grip and ran his fingers through the other's brown hair, slick with cold, anxious sweat. After a few seconds Danny's breath steadied and he opened his eyes. The others were already asleep by now. He blinked a few times before moving his head upwards to his savior. "What happened?"

"You probably tried to kill an octopus in your dream", Funny Man dryly responded.

Danny sighed tiredly and devastated. "I'm sorry. You can go back to sleep."

"I will", Funny Man smiled and he placed a kiss on Danny's cheek. "I'll fall asleep right beside you."

"I don't want to sleep anymore. Those nightmares are killing me", the lead singer whined.

Funny Man traced small circles on his back and shifted until he was on his back and the other lied on his side with his head on his chest. "You want to talk about those nightmares?"

"No", Danny immediately answered and he felt the other flinch at the severe of his voice. He felt sorry for reacting like that but right now, he could use his love instead of the depressing atmosphere around his nightmares. "Sleep now."

"Only if you sleep too", Funny Man said, sounding very sure of his point.

Danny whined to express how much he hated it when the other had his mind set onto something. "I don't want to."

"What could happen? You're safe with me, right? Big ol' King Kong will chase the boogiemen away!"

The lead singer involuntarily laughed and stomped his chest. "Shut up, you're making this worse! Besides, I'm older than you!"

"Age doesn't matter, Dannyboy. Everyone needs love once in a while", Funny Man cooed but the other had already fallen asleep.

Around 9am Danny woke up. His hero was right. He didn't have any more nightmares while he was in his arms. He yawned and moved his head upwards. He noticed the small amount of space he had to move. Funny Man was cradling him in his arms and holding onto him like his life depended on. A content smile formed on his lips when he found the soft smile of the Mexican. "Told you", Funny Man whispered. How long had he been awake?

Danny snuggled against the other. "I don't wanna get up", he murmured.

"Me neither", Funny Man confirmed as he pulled the other closer to his chest. "Wanna stay in bed all day?"

"As lovely as that sounds, we can't", Danny pouted. He crawled on top of the Mexican to get out of the bunk, he heard a painful wheeze when he placed his knee on the blanket. "Watch your knee!" Funny Man whined. The lead singer jumped out of the bunk and watched as the other cupped his intimate region. "Oh my fucking balls…"

"Sorry", Danny chuckled, he stepped up on the lowest bunk and looked at his boyfriend. His boyfriend. It felt good to call him that. His boyfriend turned to his side, head leaning in his hand. "What?"

"Nothing, I just enjoy watching you", Danny winked. He moved upwards and kissed his nose. "Come on now."

Funny Man tried to get out of the bunk but he miss stepped and fell on the hard floor, flat on his stomach. "Oh God, that hurt."

"Big baby", Danny rolled his eyes, walking away. Did he… Did Funny Man see that right? Did Danny actually strut away in such a seducing manner? Moving his head like a model in a magazine? Damn, he was provoking the Mexican to race after him into the bathroom! How mean! Instead Funny Man got on his feet and checked up on the others. Johnny and J-Dog were sound asleep. Da Kurlzz and Charlie were seated in the couch, next to each other for a change.

Still, Charlie was sprawled all over the couch on his back with his head in Da Kurlzz' lap. They were quietly conversing. Funny Man didn't really want to disturb them but they both stopped talking and looked at him when he passed them. Both offered him a smile and he smiled back. He made his way to the box of cereal, poured some milk in the bowl and sat down in front of them. "Hey guys."

"Good morning! How was your first night was Danny?" Charlie winked.

The Mexican rolled his eyes. "We didn't do anything special, just slept."

"Yeah and 'slept' is code for?" Da Kurlzz chuckled.

Charlie offered him a high five but then they straightened their faces and looked at their friend. "Was he fine after the nightmare?"

"Yeah, I think he was. He didn't wake up anymore", Funny Man responded.

Da Kurlzz frowned. "You seem tired."

"I didn't sleep since 2 am. I wanted to make sure Danny was safely sleeping."

"That is so romantic", Da Kurlzz squealed.

Charlie made a weird face. "Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Squeal like a teenage girl. I'm not dating a girl, I'm dating a man!"

Soon he realized how weird his statement was and laughed with himself. "I never thought I'd confess that out loud!"

"Stranger things have happened", Da Kurlzz said.

Suddenly a deafening shriek was heard out of the bathroom, followed by a loud sound of breaking glass. All three of them rushed towards the bathroom to find the door unlocked. They opened the door and their jaws hit the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	18. Mirror On The Wall

Danny was sitting on the floor, surrounded by filthy blood stains on the floor. His wounded arms had a few extra claw marks on them. He was in tears, shaking violently with every sob. "N-need to clean… N-now", Danny mumbled and his eyes went wide as he stared at the ground. Funny Man took a few steps closer. "Dannyboy? What's going on?"

"Don't come closer!" Danny yelled as he scratched his shoulder, making a deep bloody line on it. "Need to get clean…"

Charlie tapped the Mexican's shoulder. His eyes were wide in terror and he pointed shakily at the mirror. A cobweb of cracks came together in the middle of it. The middle had a red circle around it and they knew it was blood. They knew for sure. Above it some pieces of the mirror were still untouched by cracks but were smudged by bloody letters. It read 'Deuce' in small letters, another 'Deuce' next to it and another and another. Another. The whole mirror was smudged in small words that read 'Deuce' but so was the wall next to the mirror. It must've read 'Deuce' about 25 times.

Danny's eyes shot from side to side as he started rocking himself back and forth. "Need to clean myself", he begged.

Funny Man got closer and dropped to his knees. "Take a shower."

"No! It doesn't work!" Danny shouted. By now J-Dog and Johnny were wide awake and standing in the door opening to see what the hell was going on. The lead singer scratched his arm in more wounds but Funny Man stilled his hands. "Stop scratching."

"I need to! It's the only way to clean myself!" Danny cried.

Da Kurlzz explained what had happened to the other 2 and pointed at the bloody wall. All of their faces went pale as they were scared shitless by this kind of a freak out.

Funny Man held Danny's hands away from his arms. "Clean what?"

"His hands are all over me. He stained me. I'll never be clean again. He touched me everywhere", Danny whispered in a deadly voice with massive freaky eyes.

It gave the other goose bumps. He cupped the lead singer's chin and forced him to look at them. "Who stained you?"

"Deuce!", Danny screamed, then he leaned in and whispered barely audible: "He fucked me."

Funny Man shuddered in anger and shot upright. "I'm gonna kill that motherfucker." He got out of the bathroom, clenched and unclenched his fists the whole time, pacing back and forth. He had to get out of that bathroom or he would've hurt someone. Anyone. Rather Deuce but his senses were so blinded he could hurt anyone right now. He was seeing red. Deuce raped his little Danny! Danny was HIS property now! The others let him be for a while. Charlie stepped up to Danny. "Calm down now. His hands aren't all over you. You're safe in the bus with us. You had a wonderful night sleeping in Funny Man's arms. You know Funny Man, right? Your boyfriend?"

Danny blinked a few times. "Funny Man."

"Yes, I'm Charlie, remember?"

The lead singer looked at him. "Charlie?"

"Yes."

"I-Is Deuce here?"

"No."

"Where is he?"

"Locked up", Charlie hushed, caressing his cheek. "He won't hurt you."

J-Dog turned towards Funny Man. "What did he say to make you so upset?"

The Mexican dropped down on the couch. "He…Deuce raped him."

"What?" J-Dog managed to say. A lot was going on in his head right now. He felt bad for Danny, felt anger towards Deuce, jealousy towards Danny, depression because of Deuce. It was all so confusing. He wanted to kill Deuce but at the same time be held by him and told that it was absolutely nothing. That there was nothing going on between Danny and Deuce. Then he also wanted to scold Deuce for hurting their little Danny like that. Why did he do it?

Funny Man pointed his gaze towards the floor. "Do you still love Deuce after everything?"

"Yes", J-Dog answered without hesitation.

The Mexican nodded and got up. "As much as I'd tell you not to. You can't control it, right? You do get that I have to take care of my little Danny now, right?"

The rapper nodded.

"And you do know I'll kill Deuce for it, right?"

J-Dog rolled his eyes but nodded anyway. They got back into the bathroom where Danny was clinging to Charlie, holding on tightly as the bandana rapper pulled him out of the blood pools and glass splinters. Funny Man felt a spark of jealousy but pushed it aside. Charlie was no threat but he still felt like it should've been him to comfort his boyfriend. Of course Charlie realized that too and as soon as he saw Funny Man, he gestured for him to come closer. "You take care of his wounds, please? We'll clean up this mess."

Danny was shivering and his arms were dripping with blood. His broken foot was throbbing painfully as he used Charlie for a crutch. When his eyes caught sight of the Mexican, he clumsily jumped on one leg towards the other and flew into his arms. "I'm so sorry!"

"It's fine", Funny Man chuckled and he held the other happily. "Let's take care of those wounds, right?"

The lead singer nodded and leaned on the other as they weirdly made their way to the first aid kit. Funny Man took a bandage and wrapped it around his bloody fist after carefully peeling out the pieces of glass. There was an awkward silence but Danny filled it when he started rapping Levitate. "Cover myself with bandages from all these dick damn damages", he grinned apologetically.

Funny Man laughed despite his worry. "You dork."

By the time they were done, he looked like a mummy with the bandages around his arms. "I'm sorry", Danny murmured again.

Funny Man sighed and kissed his forehead. "Not your problem. Do you still consider dropping the charges?"

Danny nodded. "I do. No matter how freaky I behave. I still think I'm doing the right thing."

"Fine, but you're checking in with that lady in the hospital today. Those freak out and nightmare pills aren't working", the Mexican scowled.

His boyfriend pouted but got pulled into a hug. "Don't you ever scare me like that again?"

Danny rolled his eyes. "Oh so now it's my fault?"

"If you say so, yes!"

"Fuck you, Funny", the lead singer complained, wrestling out of his grip but smiling lightly at the other. "This afternoon I'll go to that hospital lady again. Will you tag along?"

The other nodded. "Of course. I love you, don't I?"

"And I love you", Danny shyly responded.

"Make out already", Da Kurlzz said in a frustrated tone.

"Yeah, you guys haven't kissed on the lips since yesterday, how do you survive?" Charlie asked dumbfounded.

Both boys realized they were right. They hadn't kissed since yesterday night. They had on the forehead and cheek but none on the lips since they got together. Danny looked at Funny Man who thought the exact same thing. Their lips met and sparks were definitely flying around them. It was special. It held a promise. To get through this whole Deuce-thing together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	19. Trip To The Drugstore

Day 17 in the afternoon and Funny Man had agreed to tag along to the hospital lady for a checkup of the pills. They waved to the other four as they left. They had offered a ride but Danny found it ridiculous to arrive at the hospital with their huge fucking tour bus. He'd rather take one crutch to lean on. As they walked side by side, Danny entwined their hands and smiled to himself. Funny Man gazed down at his hand and raised an eyebrow. "I never took you for such a touchy-feely boyfriend."

"There are many things you don't know about me", Danny winked, squeezing his hand lightly. His boyfriend chuckled and bumped their shoulders together. He wrapped an arm around his shoulder and walked on further. "Then I'll just have to find out, right?"

"Yeah, maybe you will", Danny smiled. The same hospital wasn't really that far but it was quite a walk for someone with crutches. They were the same walls, the same doors and the same doctors. The same lady told the Mexican to wait outside as she took his boyfriend into her chamber.

He waited and waited. He sat by himself in one of those uncomfortable plastic chairs. Within half an hour the lead singer walked out again with a new prescription. "Fucking great", he murmured sarcastically when the lady was out of sight. He grabbed Funny Man's arm and dragged him outside. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Danny stopped in his tracks and turned towards the other. He held the sheet up between two fingers. "I got different pills. I have to take one in the morning and evening against nightmares. One before each meal against panic attacks and every 4 hours a pain killer during the day to dull the aches of my wounds! I have to stuff my face with fucking pills! That's 9 pills a day!"

He crumbled the sheet in his hands. "I am not taking those stupid pills!"

People were starting to look at them in the streets, wondering why the lead singer was being so loud and screaming at his friend like that, wondering if Funny Man was bothering him. Funny Man took the sheet out of his hands, unfurled it and wrapped both arms around him. "I know. I know, but we've seen you this morning. You freaked out and we got scared. We can't help you but the doctors can. They just don't know how you react to certain pills and that's why they try to find what's best for you. It'll get better, I promise. Just hang on."

Danny sighed and took the sheet back. "Fine. You coming along to the drugstore?"

"Of course I am!" the Mexican answered offended. He grabbed his wrist and dragged him towards the drugstore. They gave Danny the pills with a sticker on to tell him when to take it and in which amount. He groaned and turned to Funny Man. "I hate this."

"I know, but it'll get better", he hushed and guided him back to the bus while reading every single sticker on the bottle of pills. "Damn, these side effects are quite worrying."

"Shut up! You're not helping at all!" Danny whined and he punched his friend in the arm. "I hate it when you scare me."

"I don't scare you that much, do I?" the Mexican wondered.

Danny shrugged. "Lately I'm more scared of myself."

"Me too. Scared for your recovery whenever you experience a freak out", Funny Man mused. An awkward silence followed and both felt quite uncomfortable talking about such subject. Like it was some sort of contagious disease while it was just some post-traumatic stress. He wasn't a freak. He just broke down sometimes.

As they reached the bus, they found Charlie and Johnny smoking outside, waving as they got back. "How was it?" Johnny asked.

The lead singer hung his shoulders. "Gotta stuff my face with more pills."

"It'll get better", he responded but Danny only glared at him. Everyone always said it would get better. He didn't give a fuck about it getting better. The point was that it was horrible right now! He couldn't live with "it'll get better" because that's exactly what he thought in that terrible car park. It'll get better, he thought. For 13 fucking days!

Danny walked past them into the bus and found Da Kurlzz and J-Dog playing some card game. He didn't bother asking which, he simply went to the bathroom and put his bottles of pills on the sink before getting back to the others. Funny Man placed his hands in his hips in a scolding manner and cleared his throat. "Aren't you going to take those?"

"Tomorrow", Danny assured.

The other still wasn't convinced and grit his teeth. "You sure?"

"Yeah", the lead singer answered, pecking him on the lips and taking a seat on the couch. He tapped the spot next to him.

The Mexican sighed and sat down. "You're so persuasive."

"I know. You love it."

"Maybe."

That night he awoke to a light shining into his eyes. He checked the clock on his phone. It was 1 am. Who would dare to turn on some lights? Funny Man stretched and yawned with a groan. He turned over on his front and gazed at the other part of the bus. The light came from underneath the bathroom door. With a shock of realization, he jumped out of the bunk and looked into Danny's. It was empty.

"What's going on?" Johnny groaned.

Funny Man bent down to the lowest bunk where Johnny was half asleep. "I think something's up with Danny. He's in the bathroom."

Johnny got out of his bed and got up. "Wanna check?"

The Mexican nodded and both made their way to the bathroom. One of them knocked and the other asked with a small voice. "Danny?"

There was no answer, just water running. Johnny swallowed his concern down and knocked again. "Danny?!"

The door unlocked and the lead singer stuck his head between the door crack. "What?"

"What are you doing? It's 1 am", Funny Man asked.

Danny shrugged. "Taking a shower."

"Why?"

"Because."

"Because what?"

"Because I need a cold shower", Danny replied, looking intently at Johnny and praying he would understand. And he did understand. Johnny cracked a smile. "Oh, I get it. You had a _bad_ dream."

The Mexican was so confused and looked at them both. "What?"

Danny snickered. "Shut up or he'll know!"

"Sleep tight, you two", Johnny greeted and went back to his bunk.

Funny Man stared at Danny. "Is it something bad? You wanna talk about the dream?"

"No no no! Definitely not about your role in it!" the lead singer quickly responded, face turning red real quickly. He shut the door and locked it again. The Mexican wondered what he meant. A cold shower. A bad dream. Not wanting to talk about it… Oh! Funny Man smiled to himself and silently cheered. He had a dirty dream about his boyfriend, how cute.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	20. Scarred Music

Day 18 and the police was starting to bug Danny about dropping the charges or not. He was still trying to draw out his decision because he didn't want to fight with Funny Man now that they were so happy in a relationship. He also went back to the hospital and earned a plaster to walk on instead of those damned crutches. It seemed like it was going to be a normal day like any other. All of them on the couch except for J-Dog who just got inside the bus. "Guys!"

"What is it?"

"I scored us a concert!"

"A concert?"

"Yeah! One to celebrate Danny coming back to us."

Danny made a weird face. "Did you tell the media I was kidnapped?"

"They know, bro. Deuce isn't arrested for nothing."

The lead singer groaned and leaned against Charlie. "Why me?"

"Don't worry. Everyone will be happy to see you again. They love you."

"Fine", he agreed. That's how it was going to be. A concert to celebrate Danny coming back to them and escaping the claws of Deuce. That's how it was supposed to be.

All week they rehearsed a few songs. They'd start with Been To Hell and end with Believe because they never actually played Believe live. The lighting would be perfect, the logo was perfect, their masks were ready and Danny sounded like an angel. Let's get that party started!

A normal week you'd think. No. Every night he woke them up with his screams and cries. Every night Funny Man asked the same questions. Are you alright? Do you want to talk about it? Was it another nightmare? Was it about Deuce? Do you still consider dropping the charges? And every night the same answers. Do I look alright? No. Yes. Yes. Yes. His fist was slowly healing from breaking the mirror so he no longer needed the bandage but there was still a crusty, bloody wound. The long cuts in his arms weren't healing at all which made them all twice as worried.

One night they discovered why they weren't healing. On a cold and silent night there was a light shining underneath the bathroom. Just like a week ago. Funny Man didn't think too much of it and turned over in his bed. Now it was Da Kurlzz who awoke to the light. He pulled himself away from Charlie and out of the bunk and tiptoed to the bathroom door. He knocked. "Hello?"

He only heard a loud whimper and tried the doorknob. It was unlocked! He slowly opened the door and caught Danny sitting on the toilet like it was a chair and nails digging into the wounded flesh of his arms. "Help me."

Da Kurlzz closed the door behind him so the others wouldn't come and see what was going on. That was pretty much the last thing the lead singer could take; prying eyes. He kneeled in front of Danny and stilled his hands. "What are you doing?"

"If it hurts, I won't think about the other ache."

"Other ache?"

"The ache that won't heal", Danny whined.

"What ache?"

Danny lowered his gaze and tapped his head. "The ache in my head."

Da Kurlzz hushed his cries and wrapped both arms around his shoulders. "You shouldn't hurt yourself over it. Have you been taking your pills properly?"

The lead singer froze and looked up. "Depends. What is properly?"

The curly haired man frowned. "What did you do?"

Danny looked away but Da Kurlzz forced him to look at him. "What did you do with those pills?"

"They make me feel weird. I flushed them through the toilet", the lead singer shyly responded. The drummer rolled his eyes and pulled Danny on his feet. "Tomorrow, we're getting a new prescription. Understood?"

"Yeah", Danny whispered.

That was the night before the concert. That day they did get a new prescription and new pills for the lead singer. He took them properly because Da Kurlzz had promised to keep his mouth shut about that night to Funny Man. He didn't want his boyfriend to feel useless. He always felt useless when someone else comforted him. He didn't want that. Tonight was the concert. The hall was getting pretty crowded, a lot of people came to see Hollywood Undead, more importantly Danny!

It was dark and the five others took their place while Danny nervously waited behind the curtains. He needed to make an entrance. A big entrance. He shuddered but a reassuring pat on his back when Funny Man passed, calmed him again. Johnny's microphone turned on, spotlights on as he announced Danny's come back with a lot of dramatic words. "Our poor Danny. We love him. We wouldn't be who we are without him. Give it up for Danny!"

Danny ran on stage with microphone in his hands. Damn, there were a lot of people. He smiled shyly at the crowd and nervously shot his eyes back and forth. Johnny continued: "Our first song is quite fitting. Danny's Been To Hell."

The first sounds of Been To Hell started up, the crowd went wild. Johnny begun his lyrics and they all shouted "Been To Hell!"

Danny remained silent, eyes roaming over the crowd. They were talking, pointing at the lead singer. They saw his wounds. They were staring at his scars and broken foot. He was so scared. He shivered all over and his lips quivered. He couldn't get a sound out. The instruments stopped playing, the sounds of Been To Hell faded. Danny dropped the microphone to the floor and shook. They saw his scars. They saw it all and were talking about it. They knew. They knew he scratched his own arms open in panic. They knew he was insane. They knew!

J-Dog walked up to Danny, guitar around him. "Are you OK?"

"They're staring", the lead singer whispered, tears forming in his eyes. Funny Man rushed over to Danny and put a hand on his shoulder. "You OK?"

"No!" Danny yelled so loud the front row could hear it loud and clear. People started whispering and talking, making the hall noisy. Funny Man grabbed his shoulder and turned him away from the crowd. "Look at me, Danny. There's no crowd. No one's here. It's just you and me. Us."

The lead singer nodded, slow tears making their way down to his chin and dripping onto stage. "I'm scared. They're staring at my wounds."

Funny Man wrapped his arms around Danny and hushed him. A few girls in the front row made a sound in awe, a goofy grin creeping its way onto his face. "It's OK. They're only looking at you because they're happy you're fine. They love you just as much as we do."

Danny turned towards the crowd. Charlie caught up on what was going on and grabbed a mic. "Seems like our little Danny needs some encouragement to show off his beautiful voice!"

The crowd loudly screamed for Danny, cheering him on and yelling intelligible words which faded into one another. Funny Man handed him the fallen microphone and smiled sweetly. The lead singer took it and shook all over. His eyes scanned the crowd. He shook his head and muttered "I'm sorry" before dropping the microphone again and running off stage. He felt their eyes in his back and wished to disappear into a small hole. He found a dark corner backstage and crawled away behind some amplifier. He heard music play. The others picked up where the concert had left off. He was conflicted. Somehow he wanted them to rush after him but he was also happy they didn't send the fans away. They'd be angry with Danny if they got sent away over his stupid freak out. He heard Charlie sing his parts and smiled at the sound of his voice. He always sung so beautifully. To keep himself busy he looked around the small spot he was in.

There were some lost stuff. Some stuff you'd search for hours while they just fell behind it. There were some earplugs, a plectrum, a knife and a sock. Don't ask why they were there, they just were. He took those items and put them on the amplifier, as if someone would magically take them to the owners. By the time Believe ended, his back hit the wall as he was trying to disappear into it. He heard Da Kurlzz call his name. He also heard Johnny assure Funny Man he'd be fine.

Danny hid his head in his arms and fantasized about a place where no one could find him. He never left stage, he never disappointed them. It was just him and Funny Man. The Mexican was only allowed because he was hot! Otherwise he wouldn't let him into his fantasy.

"Found him!" Da Kurlzz called and Danny opened his eyes. His tears were dried to his cheeks and he got up. Where was his point in hiding away when they already found him? Funny Man rushed over to him and hugged him, kissing his face all over. "Damn, he's really sticky", Danny thought bitterly but he quickly regretted the thought as he was reminded how much he loved the guy. "What happened?" Johnny asked.

The lead singer shrugged. "They were staring at my wounds. I chickened out."

"They weren't staring at your wounds", J-Dog hushed.

Danny sighed. "Yes, they were. They're all thinking the same. They're curious to know what happened to me, how I survived, if I'm still sane! The next hundred fucking interviews will be about my kidnapping!"

J-Dog's expression dropped. "You shouldn't be ashamed of those wounds. They're a sign you survived something horrible. The abuse of a jealous ex-lead singer. You should be proud."

"PROUD!?" Danny exploded, red flaming before his eyes and his anger seething. He took a step closer and clenched his fists. "You think I should be proud? Proud of having scars in my arms? Proud of having a broken foot? You want my scars? You wanna feel proud? You want me to make that happen? Let you have the scars?"

J-Dog shook in terror which seemed an exaggerated action. He looked around and saw the shocked faces of the others. Funny Man's mouth wide open and his eyes the same. Johnny holding out his hands, ready to grab Danny when needed. Da Kurlzz and Charlie also reaching out. Why was everyone acting like that? Danny awoke from his rage and saw the gazes weren't pointed at him but at his hand. He looked down and gasped. He didn't realize he had grabbed the knife from the amplifier and stuck it out threateningly to J-Dog.

Scared he dropped the knife and stepped back, bumping into the amplifier. "Oh god!"

Funny Man stepped closer and took Danny in his arms. "It's OK. It's OK. Easy."

"I… I didn't know I grabbed the knife. I didn't mean to hurt anyone!" the lead singer defended, trying to break free out of the Mexican's grip to run to J-Dog. The rapper was slightly less shocked now but still wore a worried frown. "Ow fuck!" Funny Man shouted when Danny hit his fist in his face by accident. The lead singer gasped again and cupped his face in his hands. "Oh I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm so sorry!"

He kissed the sore spot multiple times, hearing "It's fine" more than five times before being satisfied. He turned to J-Dog. "I'm so sorry. From now on, I'll take my pills properly."

"You didn't take them properly?" he heard in unison. He didn't make out the right voices. Maybe it was J-Dog and Funny Man or else it could be Charlie and J-Dog. Da Kurlzz shut his mouth wisely and just feigned surprise.

"Yeah, but I will now. I promise", Danny assured them with a shy smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	21. Therapizza

He shifted, uneasy in his seat. Maybe he was just uneasy to be there. That must be it. He was quite scared too. As if this was some sort of brain scan and the doctor could tell him at all times 'I'm sorry but it's terminal'. He didn't really think you could die because of post-traumatic stress. If that was what he had at least.

"Listen, Danny, I won't pry into what happened. Just tell me anything at all. What do you like? What are your interests? Let's start off easy, is that alright? If I start about a subject you don't like, just change the subject, OK?" the lady in front of him asked. She sat in an old armchair, hands folded into her lap and glasses resting on her nose. She was hired to 'scan' Danny's brain. Find out if he'd kill himself or not. No one actually pronounced it but it was very obvious they meant it that way. He sighed. The others were so over-protective! Just because he couldn't open a can of beer. Maybe there was more going on. Yes, there was. Danny wasn't able to open a can of beer so he grabbed a flesh knife and stabbed into the can, cutting deeply into his thumb and leaving horrible cutting marks over his fingers because his aim was off.

The others thought he had done it on purpose so now he was at a therapist's office to find out if he was suicidal or not. Fucking great!

The lady bit her lip. "Let me start off. I'm doctor Brown, I like watching a lot of parodies and listen to a lot of Imagine Dragons."

Danny tried to suppress a smile. Johnny listened those songs too. "I'm Danny Murillo. I like singing. I think I used to. I mean, I get scared in front of crowds nowadays. They're always staring at my wounds. These terrible fucking scars in my arms and the deep wound in my fist. They look at the plaster on my foot. All because of Deu- … I also like helping the others write the songs."

He almost spilled everything on Deuce but he wasn't going that far just yet. Though he felt like this lady could tell him the truth about the things lying on his heart. He swallowed thickly. "I…I thought I was going to die multiple times in that car park."

That's how it started before a whole waterfall of confessions and happenings spilled out of his mouth. He told absolutely everything. Except for the dead woman. He didn't want to tell ANYONE! The lady just remained silent and nodded every once in a while. She had such a sweet look in her eyes. She couldn't be younger than 50 years.

"I was only kidnapped for 13 days, doctor, but now it's day 27 and I'm still having these freak outs! I take my pills properly but I still awake screaming at night! Dreaming the worst. It's been 14 days and I still feel horrible", Danny complained.

The lady cocked her head. "It doesn't matter how long it happened, Danny. Sometimes we watch a car crash of merely a minute, yet we're scarred for the rest of our lives after watching a human die in there."

"But nobody died!"

"Still, you experienced something horrible and your mind is trying to cope with it. You'll never forget, you'll only learn to live with it."

Danny bit his lip. "I'm worse now than I was while it happened. I'm just such a drag to my friends now. They have to take care of me like I'm a lost puppy and I feel so bad about it."

"That's normal. It'll get better", she hushed.

 _It'll get better_. He bitterly thought about screaming at her but kept it inside. The more anger he showed, the more she'd let him come back. So now he just remained calm, answered like nothing was going on. Honestly told her how scared he was of his freak outs and told her it was a mistake to stab the can open with a knife. She was really sweet and assured him there was absolutely nothing wrong with him. He felt good about it and thanked her. He had to come back in a month for a checkup, but nothing major.

He walked out of the office, immediately attacked by the five guys, wondering what was wrong in his head. He told them there was absolutely nothing wrong. He wasn't suicidal but getting murderous because they put him there. He shoved the thought away and entwined his fingers with Funny Man's. "I don't want to go back to the bus. Can we go somewhere?"

"Where do you suggest?" Funny Man asked.

Danny shrugged. "Anywhere with you."

J-Dog coughed. "Don't get too corny, you might choke on it."

"Fuck off", Funny Man flipped the finger and held Danny close to him. "Or I'll make out in front of you."

"Oh no you don't", the lead singer glared. He'd hold his hand, hug him but no way in hell was he making out with him in public. Fuck that. They waved goodbye to the others and set off into the noon sun. "Are you hungry?" Funny Man asked.

Danny nodded. "Wanna go eat pizza?"

"I thought you'd never ask", the Mexican grinned and they walked off to find some pizzeria, passing the square with the statue. It brought back memories. Memories of day 13 when Funny man had climbed onto it. He missed that.

"Uhm, Danny? I know you don't want to talk about this, but… Do you take your pills?"

Danny sighed and looked at his boyfriend with a scowl. He found fear in the other's eyes. As if he was afraid to lose him to that freaky monster inside. Not that it was a split personality, not at all. It was just some sort of scared side of him. Like when people are in shock. They mostly don't remember what happened for a while. Just like Danny. He didn't remember grabbing the knife and pointing it at J-Dog. He didn't remember writing 'Deuce' in blood all over the walls. His eyes softened. "Yes, I'm taking them. Those nightmare pills always numb me but they never help. Those stress pills seem to help but the freak out ones not."

"I noticed", the Mexican mused.

Of course he did! The first time he awoke screaming, everyone would come comfort him and make sure he was alright. Now every night, Funny Man calmed him when he freaked out and told him it was a dream. Mostly he first got kicked off but then he was able to wake Danny and hold him for the rest of the night. When he was being held, the nightmares stopped. That moment led to him spending a lot of time at night with his boyfriend. He loved it but it was too bad it had to happen because of such an unfortunate event. He still didn't want to talk about the nightmares. Not yet.

There was a pizzeria a few blocks away and they took a seat there. "Do you guys really think I'm suicidal?" Danny asked, his voice merely a whisper.

Funny Man shrugged. "We're trying to prevent that. The police is also bugging us on dropping the charges so you need to answer that soon."

"I know", the lead singer sighed.

The waiter, a fat guy dressed in white with a huge mustache and a horrible Italian accent, took their orders. He kept sneaking Italian words into his dialogues and both had difficulties keeping a serious face. When the man left, Funny Man turned to Danny. "Mama mia, he must've eaten lotsa pizza!" he smirked, moving his hands along to the sway of his words.

Danny laughed, trying to stifle his voice as others were watching their way. "Stop it!"

"Fine. Just because you asked me to", Funny Man cooed.

Their pizza arrived and they happily ate it. "I hate unions", Danny sighed.

Funny Man pinched his cheek. "Lil Danny hates unions?"

"Fuck off", Danny whined, throwing his mushroom into his boyfriend's face, hitting his forehead. "Oh god, I didn't mean to do that!"

"What? Throw it at me? Hit me in the face with it? Having it drenched in tomato sauce?" Funny Man asked.

Danny took a napkin. "Here."

"No, it's OK. I'll wipe it off on you", he grinned, heading closer to wipe it off on his sleeve. The lead singer squealed in surprise, trying to get away and now everyone was staring so he just lowered his head to his pizza, Funny Man doing the same. When the gazes were turned to their own table, they chuckled and the Mexican wiped the ketchup off his head. "I'll get back at you for that, Dannyboy."

"Try me", Danny said, biting in a slice of pizza.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	22. I Killed You

"Funny Man!"

"Not now, mom", Funny Man groaned and turned over in his bunk. He heard a vague noise next to his mother's voice but couldn't quite make out what it was. He felt a harsh tug on his shoulder. "Get the fuck up, lazy ass!"

He finally opened his eyes and turned towards his mo- Johnny. Johnny was the one who woke him from his peaceful rest. He glared at him and growled: "What?"

The blue masked rapper made a 'are you fucking kidding me'-face and folded his arms. "You deaf?"

Funny Man frowned and got upright. It was around 2 am and the vague noise he heard was now very clear and loud. It was a desperate kind of whining. Too bad it was familiar to him. The whining had become very familiar as it was one of Danny's most made noises at night. He sighed and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "Alright! I'll go calm him again."

He climbed a bunk higher, surprised to see Danny lying still. Usually he trashed around and tried to kill everything within his reach. It wasn't very good for his broken foot but his sleeping form didn't realize that most of the time. His boyfriend was whimpering and making really sad, pitiful sounds. His blankets drenched in sweat and his face marked with tears flowing out of his closed eyes. Funny Man got under the blanket and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend. "Hey, easy now. Don't cry", he whispered, pressing his lips to the other's warm forehead.

The whimpering had stopped and was now soft sniffing until it became complete silence. Danny blinked a few times and turned his head upwards. "Funny Man?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you", he whispered, kissing his cheek softly before sinking into the warmth of his chest. He hummed happily and the Mexican wondered what changed his mood so quickly. First he was crying, now he was awake and happy. He traced circles on the other's back and shifted so he could occupy his chest with his whole body. Despite being younger, he was taller than Danny. Which made him the dominant one of the relationship, right?

"Listen, Dannyboy, can you finally talk about the nightmares? It's been 15 days since we rescued you and you haven't had one blissful night", Funny Man begged in a sweet, soft whisper.

Danny cuddled closer, if possible, and sighed. Was he shuddering now? Of course he was. He was scared. "It's the same nightmare. Not always but mostly. In the main one, I see you", he gazed upwards before continuing, "You're alone in the darkness. The darkness somehow makes me feel better about it. Your eyes glow. I reach out for you, but then Deuce appears. He's huge, like a giant. He's grinning and then he takes you, abducts you. I scream for you but you're gone. I run and run to find you but you're not there. All I see, is darkness and cold. Then darkness slowly disappears and I find myself in the car park, chained to the pillar again. Deuce approaches me with a mischievous grin. I yell for you but his grin widens. He tells me you're dead and you won't come save me this time. Then I notice I'm holding a knife, a blood drenched knife. Deuce is laughing and I notice you next to me, against the wall. You look lifeless and your eyes no longer glow, they're deep, black holes and your lips are parted. I killed you. I did this to you."

By the time his story ended, he was crying again. Funny Man hushed him and pressed his lips against his forehead. "It's just a nightmare. I'm not dead."

"I killed you", Danny whispered.

The Mexican curled his fingers in his hair. "You didn't mean to. Just go to sleep, OK?"

"OK", the lead singer sighed and curled against his boyfriend. "I'm scared though."

"So am I but Deuce is captured…unless you still want to free him?"

"Maybe. We'll see."

Funny Man growled underneath his breath but he didn't feel like fighting over it right now so he leaned his chin on top of the other's head and closed his eyes. "Sleep tight."

"Don't let the dead bite", Danny smiled, closing his eyes as well.

Charlie turned around in his bunk and sighed happily. "I thought they'd never shut up."

Da Kurlzz made a complaining sound. "Stop hogging all of the blanket!"

"Then come closer!" the bandana rapper responded in the same annoyed tone. The drummer grumbled and scooted a bit closer to put some of the blanket over his uncovered body. "Why don't you come closer?"

"I always have to come closer!" Charlie complained, hogging more of the blanket on purpose. Da Kurlzz growled. "OK, fine, why are you angry with me now?"

"I'm not."

"Yes, you are! Why?"

Charlie turned towards his boyfriend with a scowl. "Why do I always have to be the submissive one in this relationship? I'm fucking Charlie Scene! A bad ass! No one sees me like that anymore because you ran your mouth about me on the bottom!"

"When did I say that?" Da Kurlzz asked, dumbfounded about the other's sudden anger.

"You've implied it multiple times in the past few days."

"But there's nothing concrete going on?"

"What?"

Da Kurlzz smiled and cupped his chin. "I think you might be crying for attention here."

"Am not!"

"Shh!"

The screamer kissed his head, pushed him down on his back and hogged his chest to lie on. "Fine. Be dominant then. See if you like that role better."

Charlie huffed and placed his arm around the older one. "Yeah, let's see if I'm a better dominant one than you!"

"Sure, baby, but I'm not on the bottom, got it?"

"Why not?"

"Things shouldn't go up there."

"You seem fine with it when you do it to me."

"Yeah, because you like it. A LOT", Da Kurlzz expressed with wide eyes before grinning and earning a soft slap in the face. "Fuck you! Don't describe me as one of your whores."

"My whores?"

"Yeah! I remember when Deuce was still with us. You always took home some slut to bang."

"Who says you aren't my slut now?" Da Kurlzz answered, eyes suggestively but Charlie smacked his head harder this time. "Not in the mood!"

"Fine, fine. You know I love you, right?" Kurlzz cooed, making himself comfortable and covering both of them with the blanket.

Charlie hummed. "Good for you."

Da Kurlzz laughed. "I love your bitchy side."

"Sure."

"It's sexy."

"Shut up."

The drummer traced circles with his finger onto the other's body. "I'm sure you love me."

"How can you be so sure?" Charlie scoffed, putting on his real bitch face, expressing just how annoyed he was with the huge dork in his lap. This was all it was. It was a game. A game between both of them. Always a fight for dominance. An endless dance around each other of giving and taking. Sometimes striking a divine move to turn the tides.

Da Kurlzz looked upwards and pressed lips against the other's. So soft, so sweet and so addictive. He pulled back but Charlie moved along to prevent him from pulling back and put his hand in his neck to push him further. He broke the kiss and looked down at his submissive screamer. The drummer wore an evil grin. "That's why I'm sure you love me."

Around 9 am Funny Man slipped out of Danny's grip to get out of the bed. His eyes were vivid signs of a rough night. He hadn't slept after comforting his sweet beloved. He couldn't. He was afraid the other would have another nightmare like that. The nightmare itself didn't sound _that_ bad but the way he spoke about it… It shook him to the bone. His wide eyes and quivering lips, speaking softly and slowly. He just felt utterly helpless and couldn't do anything to make him feel better. He took a cold shower and found Johnny at the table with a cup of coffee. It was 9 am and Johnny was awake… He better not say a word to him yet. Johnny had the annoying habit to be moody before 10am. So Funny Man walked past him and made himself a cup of coffee. J-Dog stepped in through the front door with a bag, possibly their breakfast. He shot both of them a small smile. "Good morning to both of you."

Johnny grumbled and Funny Man thrust his cup in the air. He was too tired to say anything. He was exhausted. J-Dog patted his head. "You're gonna have to rest, bro. You won't survive these nights when you remain awake with your little boyfriend."

"I know but I'm just worried", Funny Man sighed.

He took a slice of bread and spread some chocolate on it before eating it. His eyes wandered towards J-Dog opposite of Johnny. Johnny had his back turned towards Funny Man. J-Dog seemed exhausted as well. His eyes deep in his skull and very small. He hadn't slept that well either. His movements were slow and a very obvious sign of insomnia. The Mexican hadn't slept because he worried over Danny. Did Deuce keep J-Dog awake at night?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	23. Don't Speak

"I don't want to do this", Danny whined, his eyebrows forming a sad frown. He glanced back at Funny Man and pouted. "Please? If I can quit this, I'll love you even more."

Johnny scoffed. "You want to quit Hollywood Undead?"

"No! I just want to quit this rehearsing. It's not getting anywhere!" Danny growled.

The blue masked rapper folded his arms. "Because you don't focus!"

His voice had a very sharp edge to it and startled the other a little. They'd been practicing for hours and hours. Every time Danny started singing but couldn't hit the right notes because the others were staring at him and whispering. They were doing it on purpose, to teach him how to cope with it when the crowd would be staring at him. It was sweet but also nerve wrecking. "I want to stop."

"God, you're just…" Johnny begun but felt a hand on his shoulder. Funny Man silenced him and hopped on the stage they rented momentarily. He shielded Danny from their eyes and caressed his cheek. "Be strong now, baby. You want to sing, don't you?"

"Of course but I can't! Not with these damned cuts", he growled, nodded towards the deep and fresh cuts in his arms. It looked like he was attacked by some beast. They were fresh because recently Danny found out his sleep paralysis had a few flaws. When you sleep and dream of running, you don't actually start running even though you're convinced you're running. That's sleep paralysis. It keeps the body from hurting itself while you're asleep. Danny's sleep paralysis was a little off. Lately he dreamt about knives and cutting into something or someone, even into his own. When he woke up, he always found himself in blood crusts. He didn't stab himself but he seemed to drag his nails across his skin instead. That start around day 29 and now it was day 31. They had an interview planned. They had to. A lot of people didn't know about Danny's return, the reason for the concerts being cancelled and Deuce's arrests. They just had to answer it, whether they enjoyed it or not. Funny Man pecked Danny on the lips. "I believe in you. You can do it."

Danny agreed to try it one last time, but still, it failed. His notes were completely off after merely seconds of insecurity. He bit his lip and dropped the microphone. "I can't do it!"

"It's fine. We'll try again next time", J-Dog assured, jumping on stage and patting his back. "You'll be fine."

The driver came by to tell them it was time to leave for the interview. It was across the city so they had to drive there. They left, all of them a little nervous. "What should I say?" Danny helplessly asked.

Da Kurlzz shrugged. "Don't speak unless they ask you directly. You don't usually take the word, do you? Why would you now?"

"Good point", Danny admitted.

They arrived at a strange building, looking more like an apartment than some sort of television or internet broadcast. Like they cared. They got inside. On the third floor they were greeted by some lady who grabbed her cards with the questions and a microphone. She seemed in a rush and looked like one of those reporters who will do anything to get their story. This had to be great. She greeted them and asked them the usual stuff of introducing them with their part in the band. It was an interview on camera, which they didn't realize at first. Before Danny had time to panic, Charlie and Johnny stepped in front of him to shield his cuts from the camera.

"OK! We took frequently asked questions from our site", he informed.

Danny leaned his head on Funny Man's shoulder and mouthed. "Whyyyy?"

"We won't immediately start with heavy stuff", she begun, nodding towards Danny. She flipped through her cards and looked up. "OK, this was a question which brought up a lot of discussion. When did Funny Man and Danny hook up?"

Funny Man dropped his jaw and his voice suddenly became high pitched. "What?"

"They didn't hook up", Charlie answered sternly.

"The person who asked this had a pretty obvious picture of the two of them holding hands", the lady remarked with a daring look at Charlie.

Danny shrugged, suddenly icy. "So what? You also see Johnny and Charlie doing things like that. It doesn't make them gay."

Charlie chuckled. "Don't talk about my boyfriend like that!"

Johnny didn't miss the murderous glare he got from Da Kurlzz and swallowed nervously. The lady continued on with her questions. Most of them were quite simple and answered by Johnny.

Is Danny recovering well? Yes.

Are you returning to Los Angeles any time soon? Yes, after the case with Deuce.

Was the kidnapping Deuce's way of taking revenge? Yes

Lastly she turned to Danny, this time he couldn't hide away from questions because it was directly pointed towards him. "How was it?"

Danny shuddered. "Are you asking me how it was to be kidnapped? What the fuck do you think? It was a fucking party! We had so much fun when he tried to beat me to death and chased me down when I tried to escape. Such a fun party I broke my foot and have to take a lot of pills not to flip!"

The lady was speechless and so were the others. Funny Man, out of the view of the camera, took his hand in his own and swiped his thumb reassuringly over the back of his hand. Danny calmed down. "I'm sorry. I guess I had another freak out. Been having these a lot lately."

"And that's the end of the story", Johnny said and he got up. The lady got the hint and let them leave. All elevators were taken and the lead singer groaned. "I need to get out of here NOW!"

They decided to take the stairs. Charlie, walking besides Johnny with Da Kurlzz' breath in his neck. "What the fuck was that about Johnny being your boyfriend?"

Charlie rolled his eyes. "You know we've been joking about that since Deuce was still in the band, Kurly. It's nothing personal."

"I don't like it", Da Kurlzz whined and he folded his arms in a childish manner. The bandana rapper rolled his eyes and walked more slow to get next to the big whining baby. He nudged him but the drummer remained grumpy. "No. Fuck off. You can come up with something great to earn my forgiveness."

With those words he walked more quickly to get away from the other. Charlie growled. "Damnit, why do I have to like _him_ out of all guys?"

J-Dog scoffed. "You think you've got it rough?"

"Sorry", Charlie mumbled.

Funny Man swung his arm around Danny's shoulders. "Kurlzz told you not to speak."

"Unless the question was directed towards me. It was!" the lead singer snarled and shrugged the arm off. The Mexican sighed and shook his head. "Oh god why do I have to love _him_ out of all guys."

Johnny wore the most murderous glare. Oh how he wished things would get back to normal. Get back to the time before Danny got kidnapped. Then he wouldn't have known about J-Dog and Deuce acting like Romeo & Juliet. He wouldn't have known about Funny Man and Danny obviously craving each other and he wouldn't have known about the pathetic relationship between the most bad ass rapper and the screamer. How could those 2 become teenage girls like that? He shuddered and listened to the fighting around him. Da Kurlzz was angry with Charlie. Charlie thought Da Kurlzz was exaggerating. Danny was moody. Funny Man was a massive moron to give up after one try of comforting. J-Dog was wallowing in self-pity because his loved one, the kidnapper, was held captive. He couldn't take it anymore. "All of you are nuts!"

All five of them fell silent and eyed Johnny curiously. He threw up his hands in defeat. "I'm fine with you guys dating each other, but stop being such a pussies! Kurlzz! You know Charlie's been joking about me being his boyfriend since before your relationship! It's just a fucking joke and if you don't see that he's actually more than a 100 percent yours, then you're fucking blind. Danny, God Danny! Stop whining! You just die in self-pity because you got beaten, you got abused, you got raped. We're dealing with this too, you know?! It may be terrible what happened to you, but stop making such a big fuss and stop fucking crying about every single booboo! It's obvious you want Funny Man to cuddle up to you and tell you it'll be fine. Funny Man, stop sticking to Danny like that! He's not a child. Stop acting like his mother. You, Charlie! You got jealous when Kurlzz got the number of a girl so shut the fuck up about Kurlzz being jealous. J-Dog, Deuce is a fucking kidnapper and a rapist and all you think about is how he's having a rough time? Are you kidding me? You're all such fucking pussies!"

A silence followed. Workers in the building were staring at them because of the loud outburst. Johnny continued walking and the others followed in silence. None of them dared to say anything at all. Da Kurlzz stopped in his tracks until he reached Charlie. He smiled softly and entwined their fingers. Charlie smiled back. J-Dog held his gaze towards the floor, conflict visible in his eyes. Danny tried to hold back a sniffle and nested into Funny Man's side who happily wrapped an arm around him. Johnny looked back at them with a smirk. They don't speak, yet the fight was already over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	24. Lust & Pride

After the interview Danny headed for the hospital for a checkup. His foot was finally healed so the nurse cut open the plaster. The therapist prescribed different nightmare pills since the others never took any effect. Not very happy about it, Danny picked up the new pills. Hey, at least he didn't have to walk around with a plaster anymore, right?

The evening of Day 31 felt like everything was fine again. Danny didn't have a major freak out. They even laughed at the lead singer's remark during the interview. It was just great how reacting and the look on the lady's face was absolutely priceless! All five of them apologized to Johnny for acting like pussies. He waved it off. Around 11 pm they all decided to hit the sack. Charlie crawling with Da Kurlzz, J-Dog making a tiger jump into his bunk and Johnny crouching down to get in his. Danny tapped Funny Man on the head when he was in his own bunk. The Mexican looked up and found his boyfriend hanging upside down over the opening of his bunk. "Hey, wanna sleep next to me without having to comfort me?"

He grinned in response and climbed on the other's bunk. He got cozy under the blanket and closed his eyes. "Funny?"

He opened one eye and saw Danny's curious chocolate brown eyes gazing into his. "Yeah?"

"I uh…uhm can I ask something?"

He raised an eyebrow and nodded softly, barely noticeable. "You're already asking something."

"Ha, I know but… I mean.. I uhm."

"Spill it, Danny", Funny Man sighed in a whisper.

Danny hid his face in the other's neck. "Whendowegofurther?"

"What?"

"When. Do. We. Go. Further?"

Funny Man withdrew from his grip and cocked his head curiously. "What do you mean?"

The lead singer nervously laughed. "You know! I mean… Like… uhm."

"Just say it already!" the Mexican hissed, getting irritated by the stalling.

"Sex. When?" Danny expressed embarrassed, sounding like a caveman.

Funny Man held back his laughter when the other turned his head away. "Whenever you like."

"Now?"

"If that's what you want", Funny Man smirked. He turned the other on his back and kissed his lips sweetly and delicately like he was afraid the other would crumble in his grip. One hand slowly slid down his side and down to his hips. He kissed down his jaw and to his neck, down to the collar bone. Danny held back a soft sound and wrapped both arms around the other.

"Don't even think about it, you two", Johnny and J-Dog spat at the same time. Both their faces flushed red as Funny Man got off him and lied down beside him. "Busted", he mouthed towards Danny.

"Maybe they weren't talking to us? Sleep talking, you know?"

"Oh we were definitely talking to the two of you", Johnny growled.

J-Dog murmured something but they couldn't quite catch it. "What?"

"I don't want the two of you fucking like animals while we're not even asleep yet! Not even when we're asleep!" J-Dog responded, louder this time.

"You didn't have a problem with it when we did", Charlie mumbled.

"WHAT", came the reply of all 4 of the others.

Charlie and Da Kurlzz laughed. "They're a fresh couple. Fresh couples do it every single night. We used to and you guys never even noticed."

Johnny got up and walked to the bathroom. "I need to throw up."

"God, that's gross!" J-Dog whined.

"Oh don't start you! As if you didn't do Deuce while we were asleep!" Kurlzz partly shouted.

J-Dog sighed. "I didn't do him. He did me… Why does that even matter? The point is, no more fucking in the bunks when others are here!"

"But when are we supposed to do it then?" Funny Man asked.

"When we're out", J-Dog answered.

Danny glared at him. "You guys are never out without me and Funny. We're never alone!"

Charlie laughed. "Do you guys realize we're discussing the time tables of when is a good time to fuck?"

Johnny came back and got in his bunk again. "Good night, everyone! We're not discussing this. No sex in the bunks!"

For a long time, there was a silence. Until J-Dog broke it. "How did we not notice Charlie and Kurlzz doing it at night?"

"You learn how to be quiet after a while", Kurlzz admitted.

Charlie hummed in response. "No one ever noticed because we didn't make a sound."

"That is so fucking gross", Johnny shuddered. Funny Man turned over and faced the wall. "Why are you still discussing this? It's fine! We won't do anything tonight."

Danny grumbled and wrapped his arms around the other's back to hide his face in the back of his neck. "You cockblockers!"

Silence returned once again. After merely half an hour, they were lightly snoring, mumbling things in their sleep and breathing steadily. Not a sound was heard throughout the whole buss. Suddenly Funny Man turned towards Danny. "Fuck them. They don't tell us what to do."

Danny chuckled and kissed the other. "Didn't know you were so dirty."

"I like to get freaky, remember?" the Mexican grinned and he glided his hand down the other's back to his ass. As soon as he touched his butt, Danny's eyes went wide. He screamed and threw Funny Man out of the bunk, six feet down to the floor. The loud thud awoke everyone and soon five pairs of eyes were pointed at Danny. Four of them curiously shifting between Funny Man on the floor and the lead singer in his bunk. "What was that?"

The Mexican groaned as he got up and climbed into the bunk. "I'd like to know too."

"Sorry. It's just… Deuce, you know?" Danny explained softly.

Both Johnny and J-Dog groaned. "You guys tried to do it again, didn't you?"

"Tried, yeah", Funny Man stated, rubbing the sore spot on his head. "If you don't want it, you should've just said so!"

Danny apologized again and kissed the sore spot on his head. "I'm sorry. I panicked. He used to go straight for that zone. I didn't know I'd freak out like that."

"You should tell the therapist", Da Kurlzz piped up.

"What? That I freak out when my boyfriend wants to fuck me? Yeah, real good thing to tell the therapist", Danny snarled sarcastically.

Kurlzz shrugged it off and rolled over to sleep. So did the others and the night was peaceful. For the very first time Danny had no nightmare. Whether it was because of his new pills or because of Funny Man, he didn't know. In the morning they sat around for a bit, talking about small things and discussing what they could do that day. Johnny was browsing the internet on his phone and cleared his throat. "The interview's on Youtube."

"And?" Danny shot, daringly.

The blue masked rapper swallowed. "Positive or negative news first?"

"Positive."

"Most of the fans commenting agree with you that it's a stupid question to ask about the kidnapping. They hate her for asking you."

Danny smirked. "Perfect! What's the negative news?"

Johnny held out his phone for Danny. Besides the interview, the camera also recorded something else. The moment they walked down the stairs, but it was obvious how they cut out a lot of their conversations. Nothing was said about Da Kurlzz and Charlie. Nothing was said about J-Dog and Deuce. The only thing they showed was Johnny's rage with these words: "Danny, God Danny! Stop whining! You just die in self-pity because you got beaten, you got abused, you got raped. We're dealing with this too, you know?! It may be terrible what happened to you, but stop making such a big fuss and stop fucking crying about every single booboo! It's obvious you want Funny Man to cuddle up to you and tell you it'll be fine. Funny Man, stop sticking to Danny like that! He's not a child. Stop acting like his mother." Followed by the view of Danny cuddling up to Funny Man. The lead singer shrugged. "I don't give one flying shit if they know about our relationship or not."

Yet Funny Man didn't seem to agree on it with him. He was pale.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	25. Broken Parts

Soon Danny left along with Charlie to get some groceries. Mostly to get their minds off the ruined interview. Funny Man was still as pale as a dead man and gulped. "No one can know about me and Danny!"

"Why not?" Johnny asked.

The Mexican sighed. "It's obvious, isn't it? How many guys stop listening to their favorite band when they discover their dating each other?"

"I get your point. What are you going to do about it?"

Funny Man bit his lip. "Honestly I think I need to end things with Danny."

"What?!" Da Kurlzz yelled.

"Yeah! I mean. We're not a power couple. He fucking throws me off when we try to get intimate. He's always screaming at night, kicking me before I can comfort him. Now we're destroying the image of the band. It's obvious fate doesn't want us to be together. We're not meant to be, I guess", Funny Man answered.

"That's just your fear speaking. You love him", J-Dog assured him.

The baritone voiced rapper lowered his gaze. "That's true. I think our relationship just started too soon. We weren't supposed to get together yet. I was going to make a move after the drama. I should break up with him and get back together after all of this, right? I can do that right?"

Johnny laughed mockingly. "Good luck telling him that without watching him have a breakdown or worse; another freak out!"

"He'll understand", Funny Man hushed. Both other men weren't convinced.

"No, I don't understand!" Danny screamed at Funny Man the next morning of Day 33. He just explained how he didn't want to be together with Danny and... He didn't get to say the rest. Danny burst out angry after that one sentence and the Mexican tried to get him to understand but now he was fully screaming into his face. "Get it, Danny! You're scared of yourself right now. As long as you're not fully back to normal, I can't be in a relationship with you!"

"You said you loved me!" Danny shouted, throwing a tantrum aboard the bus. Both J-Dog and Johnny covered their ears. Da Kurlzz and Charlie fell out of their bunk, startled because of the shrieking noise. "Danny, please, don't be childish now", Funny Man hushed.

Oh snap. The lead singer's eyes burst into flames and his whole body mutated into a huge monster to shred Funny Man into pieces. No, that didn't actually happen, but it could've happened if Danny's outside would reflect his insides. He was so damn furious right now. He almost leaped at the younger one, but Johnny was right in time to grab his waist and hold him back. "Now, let's not scratch his eyes out, Danny."

"I told you he wouldn't be cool with it", Johnny scowled at Funny Man.

The Mexican ignored the remark and stepped closer to Danny. "I still love you. I'll always love you, but I can't be with you unless you're you again."

"Do you have any idea what you just told me?" Danny hissed, suddenly so calm it was frightening. His eyes held a certain hatred which made Charlie and Da Kurlzz, behind Funny Man, quake with fear. "You just told me that you love me unless I'm mentally broken. You'll let go of me as soon as I'm going through post-traumatic stress. When it gets too difficult, you take the easy way out!"

Johnny held on more tightly, fearing the other was about to snatch himself loose out of his grip any time now. J-Dog whistled impressed. "You're in deep shit, Funny Man."

Funny Man held his face in his hands. "Fine, I'm sorry! I love you no matter what!"

"Too late for that now, asshole", Danny spat. His muscles relaxed and Johnny let go, feeling like the disaster had been avoided. "Don't speak to me again", Danny warned before walking off to his bunk.

Charlie joined J-Dog's side and mimicked his whistle. "He's pissed. When Danny's pissed, you better run."

Funny Man groaned and flopped down on the couch. "You guys are NOT helping!"

"Of course not. We're siding with Danny, man. It's an asshole trick to let him down now that he needs you most", Da Kurlzz stated, earning agreeing nods from Charlie, Johnny and J-Dog. The Mexican flailed his arms angrily. "NOT HELPING! You know I mean no harm, right? I love the kid! All I want now, is for him to forgive me and love me."

"Good luck", J-Dog wished him.

And he would need the luck. Each time he tried to talk to Danny, he got the silent treatment. The older one didn't speak a word to him. To no one. He just lied in his bunk, facing the wall. He didn't come out to eat or drink. Instead Charlie brought him a plate of food and a bottle of water. Each time the plate and bottle were empty when he came back. That was a good sign. A sign he wasn't starving himself. The Mexican felt guilty and tried to persuade him out of his bunk, to no avail. He didn't listen, didn't talk, didn't look at him. Nothing. He might've as well been dead this whole time.

That night. The night of Day 33, Funny Man got into his own bunk. Charlie had brought Danny his pills, which he didn't want to take at first, but eventually he gave in and took them. Then he fell asleep. Just like the others. He remained asleep, unlike the others. All five of them were wide awake because Danny was screaming his lungs out. He was having a terrible nightmare. Funny Man put his head underneath his pillow and grit his teeth. He didn't want to hear his screams. He didn't want to feel his pain.

When Danny was kidnapped, he felt his feelings inside his own heart. Because they were separated. While they were together, he never felt it anymore and simply slept through his nightmares until one of the bandmates shook him awake to tell him about the nightmare. Now they were apart again. Separated at heart and Funny Man felt his pain flare up inside. It was pure terror and agony. It hurt so much. He wished for it to disappear. His Danny was suffering and he felt it. He couldn't get up there to comfort him.

He couldn't.

They had broken up and he was no longer in charge of comforting him. He could try, but he knew Danny would get angry and kick him out of his bunk. So they listened to his screams. Charlie glared at Funny Man multiple times to go help him, but he couldn't. All four of them had their gazes pointed at the Mexican. Didn't they understand? They were no longer an item! He couldn't just get in bed with him and pet him and tell him everything would be fine! No one wants their ex to do that.

Instead he grit his teeth harder together and forced all of his love towards their connection at heart. He didn't know if it would work because in his mind he was sending all of his positive feelings towards Danny, but he didn't know if it actually worked. He could only try. And trying he did. He tried to shove all of his sweetness towards his ex-boyfriend. Strangely, it worked. Danny's screaming ceased to soft sobbing. Whether it was a coincidence or because it worked, he didn't know, but it didn't matter. Danny's pain was fading away. He felt it. In his heart the agony was slowly lessening. The fear was still there but he sent him some soothing thoughts. Soon the lead singer fell completely silent and Funny Man breathed out in relief. "Happy now?" he whispered towards the others.

They looked at him weirdly. "You didn't do anything."

"We've got a connection in our hearts, remember? I did comfort him", the Mexican snapped. Johnny rolled over. "I hate this sappy talk."

"Thanks", Charlie smiled and turned his back towards him. Within 15 minutes they were already asleep and snoring. Only Funny Man was wide awake. He felt the soft heartbeat of his loved one. It was steady but not slow enough. Not slow enough to convince him the other was actually asleep. He gulped, inhaled deeply and exhaled after holding his breath for a while. As if the air held the answer he just couldn't find. "I'm sorry, Danny", he whispered so quietly. He wasn't even sure if he had pronounced the words or thought about them, but the shifting in the bunk above confirmed he had pronounced them. He heard a deep sigh from the other and a deep pain in his chest.

He closed his eyes and in his mind, he caressed the other while he was falling asleep. Danny lay there, trying to fall asleep again after waking up harshly. He had heard Funny Man whispering and he had felt the soft sweetness radiating off him into his chest. He enjoyed it, but at the same time, he hated it. He didn't want to forgive the one who hurt him so deeply. It was just so unfair. Why did he love him? Why? He felt a soft caress and opened his eyes to find no one. It was all in his mind. In his heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	26. Anything For You

****

The connection didn't only prove to be a help, but also proved to be a curse. An uneventful curse. Danny remained in his bunk, now refusing to eat anything at all. He even left the plate untouched. It was Day 34. The second day of his isolation. He didn't speak, didn't move, didn't eat, didn't care. No sign of life. It worried the others. Charlie nudged Funny Man. "Go check on him, please? I always check up on him."

The Mexican nodded and got up off the couch. For once he wanted to check up on his ex-boyfriend. He needed to. He didn't want to go insane, but it was inevitable if the other remained as silent as he did. Not only verbally, but also over their bond. He didn't feel a thing. It was like the other was dead. He opened the door to the bunk part, shining light onto the right half, where Danny occupied the highest bunk.

He moved a little when the light shone upon his back. Funny Man placed both feet on the edge of Charlie's old bunk, which he didn't use anymore, and pulled himself upwards on the handles attached to Danny's bunk. He looked at the lead singer's back and leaned his chin on the berth. He dared to let go of one of the handles and traced the other's spine. He shuddered but didn't move away from the touch. "How are you surviving?"

No answer.

"You don't have to starve yourself, Danny. Eat something. Your beauty doesn't have to suffer because of my stupidity", Funny Man begged, softly rubbing his back. The lead singer turned over to face the other. He hadn't slept and his eyes were bloodshot. He pouted sincerely and leaned closer, his head resting on his arm. "I'm so hungry."

"You want me to bring you a sandwich?"

Danny nodded. "Please."

The Mexican ran off towards the others. It was evening, but not late enough to go to bed. Their lead singer had skipped three meals, of course he was hungry. Both Charlie and J-Dog were curious to find out what the hell their baritone voiced rapper was doing. "Danny", he replied to their curious gazes to which they nodded in understanding. All of their eyes were focused on some movie playing on the computer.

After making a sandwich, no salad he didn't like that, he rushed towards the bunk part again. Danny was no longer on his bunk. He was slouched against the opposite wall to the door. His eyes closed. Funny Man crouched before him and shook him awake. "Here. It'll give you strength."

Danny nodded and slowly devoured the sandwich, enjoying it obviously. He looked up at his ex and offered a soft smile, though it looked more like a grimace. He tried to get up but to no avail. Funny Man took his hands in his own and pulled him up, a little too hard because he bumped into the other's chest. His face flushing completely red. "Thanks", he mumbled and he climbed onto his bunk again.

Funny Man made a disgruntled sound. "Come watch a movie with us. We miss you. _I_ miss you."

Danny shook his head but the other couldn't see it. "No, thanks. I'm tired."

"Please, Danny, we're frightened by your behavior."

For a second it seemed like Danny wasn't going to budge, that he'd stay in his bunk for the rest of the night. After a minute or two, he shifted and got up. "Fine. One movie and then I'm off to bed, OK?"

"OK.", Funny Man smiled while he helped the other off the bunk. He didn't miss the doubting look in the other's eyes, but shrugged it off. For now he was just being friendly, not even trying to get back together. He first needed the other to get back into his normal routine before trying anything drastic. Danny grabbed his soft fleece blanket and wrapped it around him as he was cold and tired of crying so much.

The lead singer slowly shuffled his feet behind the Mexican towards the others who wore a pleasantly surprised look on their faces. All four of them slid sideways to free a spot for the two boys. Funny Man got down next to Charlie and patted the seat for Danny who silently sat down with the blanket wrapped tightly around his body. He pulled his feet onto the couch and lied down, putting his head into Funny Man's lap and keeping his knees bent. "Do you mind?"

"Not at all", Funny Man said. He didn't know where to put his hands. Would it be too much to put his hand on Danny's shoulder? Would it be too much to run his fingers through his hair? He decided against it but felt the other shiver. He felt his forehead with his hand. It was hot. He must have a fever. "Are you ill? Your head is warm."

"Possibly", Danny sighed and closed his eyes. He was so damn tired. By the end of the movie, J-Dog was snoring into Johnny's ear and Danny was mumbling soft words in his sleep. "What is he saying?" Charlie wondered.

Funny Man listened closely. "He says you're a fucking moron."

Charlie made a funny face. "You're so funny! I'm kidding. You're not."

The Mexican tried to get from underneath his ex-boyfriend without waking him and succeeded. He said good night to Danny and followed the others to the bunk part to fall asleep.

Around 4am he awoke to a sound. It wasn't the usual screaming and it wasn't the feeling in his chest. Yet he felt something in his chest. Danny was giving off a signal. He concentrated on the feeling to recognize it. It was… hurt. A lot of hurt and angst. Funny Man opened his eyes and saw a light shining from underneath the bathroom. This again. He got up and walked towards it. He heard mumbling and a lot of strange sounds. He knocked the door. "Danny?"

"Go away!" the lead singer screamed.

"What's wrong?" Funny Man asked.

The door unlocked and Danny's face showed up. "Go. Away."

An awful stench made its way into his nostrils and he gagged. "Are you drunk?!"

"So what if I am?!" Danny hissed.

"Why?" Funny Man asked.

The lead singer squinted his eyes. "You left me for dead! I woke up and you weren't with me! What else was I supposed to do?"

The Mexican pushed the door open, but Danny tried to shield the bathroom away from his eyes. "Don't!"

"No. What are you hidi-…"

He noticed the blood on his hands and grabbed his wrist. "Danny, did you harm yourself?"

"What would you care?"

Funny Man exhaled calmly before raising his voice. "DID YOU HARM YOURSELF?!"

Danny flinched and nodded. "Just a little. It was a distraction for Deuce. He didn't talk to me when I hurt myself."

"You idiot!" the Mexican hissed and he rushed towards the first aid kit to get a bandage and wrapped it around Danny's forearms. "You fucking moron! Are you brain dead or what?"

The lead singer cried. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I just want it all to end. I want to be dead!"

"No, you don't", Funny Man growled.

Danny sniffed. "I'm only a burden to you all."

"Go to your bunk, Danny. Sleep. We wouldn't worry if we didn't want you to live, right?"

The lead singer nodded and disappeared into the bunk part. The others must be awake by now, but tried to get back to sleep. Funny Man was about to follow Danny when something caught his eye in his peripheral vision. The bathroom… The thing Danny tried to hide. He cautiously stepped inside and gasped. On the walls, all four of them. Blood texts everywhere. In the middle of the opposite wall, he had written "LOVE?" in huge letters. The rest of the walls he had covered in an endless "ha ha ha ha". Funny Man shuddered and grabbed a wash rag. He doused it in warm water and begun rubbing the bloody spots away. He didn't want the others to see. He knew they would tell him Danny wasn't OK in his head. He knew they'd send him to an asylum against his will. That's the last thing Funny Man wanted, so he washed the blood off the walls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	27. Ricochet

They didn't say a word about the night of Day 34. Danny's fever was also over. Both boys shrugged the event off as a freak out. It was normal for him to have a freak out, especially when he hadn't taken his pills for a whole day. Danny was grateful for the other's silence on the incident. That didn't mean he was back to normal. He walked around again, ate and spoke, but not to Funny Man. He refused to talk to him, unless it was a snarl. It wasn't fun, but at least it was a good thing he was healthy again. Meanwhile Funny Man was trying to come up with a huge plan to win the other's love back. He had scribbled a few ideas on a sheet and bit on a pencil. "Hmm."

Charlie glanced over his shoulder. "Propose to him?!"

Funny Man shrugged. "Anything to get him back, right? I'd happily share my life with him. I don't think same-sex marriage is illegal in California."

"I wouldn't know, but you guys haven't even had sex yet", Charlie replied.

The Mexican shot him an annoyed glare. "We don't have to do that in order to confirm our love!"

"I know, but I'm just saying. You think he's less uptight in his ass now?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, he kicked you off previously."

"So?"

"Would he do that again? Or are you prepared to be the submissive one?" Charlie grinned.

Funny Man shivered. "No way. I'm not taking a dick up my ass!"

"Who's not taking a dick up his ass?" J-Dog asked as he walked in.

"Funny", Charlie replied.

"It's not that bad. The first time it's a little uncomfortable but once he finds your sweet spot, it's better than being the dominant one if you ask me", J-Dog explained.

Charlie nodded secure. "Definitely. It gets really good after the uncomfortable moment. It's better than a blowjob!"

"Kurlzz blows?" J-Dog asked.

The bandana rapper nodded with a smirk. "Of course. I always told you guys he sucks. He's good at it too, but up in the ass is the best part."

Funny Man followed the conversation with a freaked out face. "I don't want to know! I'm not even considering that! I first want to get my Danny back."

"What is your plan up to now?" J-Dog asked, looking at the sheet. "Propose?!"

"Anything for love, right?" Charlie chuckled.

"You guys are mocking me!" the Mexican whined and he covered the sheet. "Not helping!"

Johnny walked in and saw the three of them together. "What's going on?"

"We were just convincing Funny Man to let himself get fucked in the ass by Danny", Charlie replied, intending on freaking him out.

The blue masked rapper frowned and shook his head. "You guys are so weird. Though I'm wondering about something…"

"You're turning bi too?" J-Dog asked, excitedly.

Johnny grumbled. "No. But how do you guys do it when both of you are dominant?"

Charlie shrugged. "I switch with Da Kurlzz sometimes. Mostly he's dominant but like… on my birthday, he lets me be dominant for once."

J-Dog hummed in agreement. "I was always the submissive one, but you can switch around, you know? Like….ride him and still be dominant?"

Johnny shuddered. "Why did I want to know about that? You guys are so disturbing!"

"It's a gift", both replied at the same time.

Funny Man dropped his head to the table. "I'm getting nowhere with you guys!"

Da Kurlzz joined them after having a small talk with Danny. He tried to change his mind on Funny Man, but the lead singer didn't budge.

Johnny's phone rung and made them all look at the blue masked rapper. He looked at the screen, made a surprised face and picked up. "Hello? Yeah...Okay, I get it. We'll call back tonight."

He hung up and looked at the others. "Police office. They want to know by tonight if Danny wants to drop the charges."

"He doesn't", Funny Man growled.

Charlie flicked his head. "Yes, he does, dip. Stop trying to control his life. He's not a fucking baby anymore so don't treat him like one!"

"Come on now, baby, don't be so harsh on Funny Man", Da Kurlzz hushed and earned a pouting face. "I just want everything to get back to normal..."

"I know, honey, I know", Da Kurlzz whispered, rubbing his back reassuringly.

Johnny pretended to be gagging. "Sorry, I'm allergic to sticky, gooey lovey dovey behavior."

Da Kurlzz scowled at him. "Really now? Who's the one who kissed Charlie in a fucking interview?"

"Did I do that? I don't remember..." Johnny murmured, face turning slightly pink. He disappeared to the bunks to tell Danny what was going on with the police and stuff. Meanwhile Funny Man trying to come up with a plan to get Danny to want him again. How could he have been so stupid and reject him?! Idiot! Johnny came back with Danny in his tracks. "I'm visiting Deuce this afternoon. I wanna see for myself if he's really not the maniac he was when he hurt me."

J-Dog stepped forward. "I'm coming along."

"Me too!" Funny Man jumped upright.

Danny glared at him. "Why? So you can babysit me?"

"No, I just...wanna support you", Funny Man answered, rubbing his arm awkwardly.

The lead singer's features softened. "Thanks."

That noon they ate Italian in some restaurant at the square they previously went. After some delicious spaghetti, Danny, J-Dog and Funny Man said goodbye to Da Kurlzz, Charlie and Johnny. They headed for the police office. The woman at the desk saw them coming and immediately knew what for. She told them to wait for a few minutes. They sat down, looked at some magazines on criminal minds. Soon an officer picked them up. "One at a time inside but the others can watch. You won't hear them though", he told them. Danny would go inside and the other two would watch if everything went fine.

Luckily Funny Man could read lips and he'd be able to tell what Danny was talking about with Deuce. Danny went inside the room and took a seat at the steel table, Deuce sitting in front of him. He looked beaten, defeated and depressed. "My, Danny, I didn't expect you. J-Dog usually visits me. Did he send you? Is he finally ready to let go?"

The lead singer ignored the questions. "Did you hear I want to drop the charges against you?"

Deuce looked surprised and slowly sat upright. "I didn't. Why?"

"I would've done the same if I was in your position", Danny admitted, keeping his face straight and stern. He wasn't turning into a softy in front of his kidnapper. Somewhere inside he felt fear, but he quickly shrugged it off.

"What does it matter? Once they know about the woman..."

"I didn't tell them", Danny interrupted in a whisper.

Deuce's eyes widened. "Danny, Danny... Why not? I abused you, raped you, forced you to eat your own dog, yet you forgive me?"

"I haven't forgiven you just yet and I haven't forgotten. You're the reason my life is turning out for the worst right now", Danny remarked.

Deuce shrugged. "It's not like I'd ever do it again. I had difficulties keeping you there, you know? Do you have any idea how suspicious people can be? You think you got it bad? Try having the world against you! Do you know how much paparazzi comes here to talk to the police about me?"

"I don't care, Deuce. I want to know why you didn't kill me when you had the chance. You had 13 fucking days!" the lead singer went straight to the point.

The kidnapper shrugged again. "I couldn't. You're so...strong. I admire your strength to remain sane while I was trying to break you. Yet in the end, I feel sorry for my blind jealousy. Don't think you're my friend now. I just don't hate you anymore."

Danny widened his eyes. Deuce apologized for kidnapping him. The world suddenly turned upside down. His whole mind shifted and he did something he thought he'd never do. He didn't get why he did it, but he did. His mind didn't even process anything. His mind didn't catch both Funny Man and J-Dog's jaw hitting the floor as he jumped upright and kissed Deuce on the lips. He didn't get why, but sometimes things don't need a reason.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	28. Puzzle The Pieces

As soon as Danny realized what he just did, things went into slow motion. He turned towards the window and saw Funny Man storming out with clenched fist. J-Dog only held his hand against his chest, like his heart literally hurt before running away. Then it went back to normal speed. Deuce was dumbfounded. He cocked his head. "Why'd you do that? I thought you loved Funny Man?"

"I.. I do, but… I don't know why I did that…", Danny stuttered.

Deuce's face suddenly shifted into a glare. "You sure ruined my shot with J-Dog."

The lead singer ignored it and walked out of the room, leaving the prisoner alone. He kept walking and walking until he was outside the police office. Funny Man was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly he felt a sharp sting in his cheek. J-Dog had slapped him across the face harshly. He had tears in the corner of his eyes and his teeth showing in an angry expression. "How could you?!"

Danny was too numb to realize what he was talking about. He kissed Deuce. Deuce! J-Dog shoved him against his chest. He tripped over a ledge and fell with his back against the wall of the office onto the ground. "You fucking whore. You know Deuce is mine. You KNOW I love him! Why'd you do something like that?!"

The lead singer gazed up at J-Dog. "I… Where's Funny Man?"

The rapper made a disgusted sound and walked away, the opposite way of the bus. Danny got up and felt a painful sting in his chest. He texted Funny Man to ask where he was, but got no reply. He slowly made his way towards the bus and opened the door. He met 3 confused pair of eyes. "Where's Funny?" he asked.

Johnny furrowed his eyes like he was really worried. "From what I've seen, I think he might've ran off to the nearest cliff to jump off. How the hell did you manage to make HIM cry? I've never seen the guy cry like that. I didn't even know it was possible."

Danny lowered his gaze. "I didn't mean to…"

"What happened?" Charlie asked.

"I… I kissed Deuce."

For a moment the whole room seemed to be sound proof. Not a sound was heard. Da Kurlzz cleared his throat. "Why?"

"I don't know, OK? It's like when I'm having a freak out. I didn't know what I was doing!" Danny complained.

The drummer nodded in understanding but Charlie and Johnny didn't seem convinced of his innocence. Danny threw up his hands in defeat. "Fine, don't believe me! I just want Funny Man back right now. You really don't know where he is?"

"Where's J-Dog?" Johnny replied.

"He walked off into the city after shoving me onto the ground", the lead singer answered with a straight face. The blue masked rapper got up and left to find his friend. Charlie just scowled. "How'd you manage to break 3 hearts at once?"

"I didn't mean to!" Danny shouted.

Kurlzz put an arm on Charlie's shoulder. "Pointing out his mistake won't get us anywhere, honey. Let's just try to solve this."

"There's no way to solve this! You know Funny Man doesn't forgive cheaters", Charlie snapped back.

Danny clenched his fist and stepped forwards. "I didn't cheat! We broke up!"

"Still. I wouldn't like it if Charlie went kissing Johnny while I broke with him", Da Kurlzz responded. Charlie poked his elbow in his ribs. "Would you let that go already?"

"Sorry, but it's true. I get Funny Man, but I want to help both of you."

Danny looked down to his feet. "I just want Funny Man to understand that it wasn't the actual me who kissed Deuce! I tried his phone but he won't answer me."

Charlie got up and stretched. "Let's go look for him then. You coming, Kurlzz?"

"Nah, I'm staying here for when he gets back", Da Kurlzz winked and he hogged the couch for himself. Charlie rolled his eyes and pecked him on the lips before following Danny outside. "Behave while I'm gone, OK?"

"Sure, babe", Kurlzz responded with a smirk.

In the city park Johnny finally caught up with J-Dog. He was sitting on a bench next to a pond, staring into the water and didn't notice his friend approaching. Ducks swum around like everything was fine. They quacked at each other, fought over bread. J-Dog lowered his eyes towards his own hands. He should've hit Danny harder in the face. He kept seeing the moment over and over. Danny leaning in and kissing Deuce on the lips. His loved one widening his eyes but not refusing the kiss. His heart shrunk. Deuce had enjoyed it. Why did he…break him like that? Both of them! Danny had kissed his loved one and his beloved didn't even try to shove him. Johnny cleared his throat to draw the other's attention. "Hey."

"Oh, hi. I didn't notice you there", J-Dog softly responded.

Johnny didn't say a word as he sat down next to his friend on the bench. "I heard what happened."

J-Dog scoffed. "You mean what he did?"

"Yeah, but you know he didn't do it on purpose."

"Not on purpose?! He didn't break the mirror on purpose! He didn't grab the knife on purpose! But he DID kiss Deuce on purpose!" J-Dog shouted.

Johnny flinched at the loud sound and bit on the inside of his cheek. "What are you going to do then? Kick Danny out? Hurt him? Ignore him for the rest of your life?"

J-Dog shook his head. "I'll find a way to take revenge on him."

The blue masked rapper chuckled. "What? Kiss Funny Man?"

"No, Funny would never kiss me, but he'd never refuse a cute girl now, would he?"

Johnny's face suddenly turned very serious. "You're kidding, right? You can't do that!"

"I can do whatever the fuck I want", J-Dog snapped. His eyes were desperate and he was shaking. So Johnny just put his arm around him. "Let's get back to the bus."

The other didn't refuse and went along to the bus.

"Funny!" Danny yelled on top of his lungs. Charlie shielded his ears from the high pitched sound. "Man, you can go really high with your voice."

"Of course, I graduated a music academy, remember?"

Charlie nodded absent mindedly. "Do you regret kissing Deuce?"

"Of course I do! I love Funny Man", Danny responded, insulted by the assumption.

"Danny. You're talking to me, Charlie. You don't have to be afraid that I'll beat you up or judge you. Just tell me. Do you regret it?"

The lead singer shrugged. "It felt kinda good, but I still love Funny!"

"That's OK. Can I tell you something?"

"What is it?"

"Four years ago, Da Kurlzz broke up with me after a relationship of 6 months. He did it on our anniversary. I was so angry. So damn furious about the break up that I got really drunk and kissed Johnny. Kurlzz was so jealous afterwards. He never forgave me, as you might notice how jealous he gets when I'm paired up with Johnny. I don't love Johnny, but I can't say I didn't like that kiss. It felt kinda good as you put it", Charlie explained in a small voice, looking around as if his boyfriend could hear him.

Danny looked him in the eye. "Thanks, Charlie."

"Anything, bro. Look!" Charlie said, pointing ahead. Funny Man was leaning against the wall of a huge house. He had pulled his hoodie over his head to hide his face but it was him alright, same clothes and same height. Charlie ran off and held Danny back. "Let me talk to him first or he'll probably run away."

The lead singer understood and waited. He watched as Charlie tapped Funny on the shoulder. He expected the Mexican to run, to scream or anything of the angry kind. He didn't. Instead he flew Charlie around his neck and let out soft whimpers. "How could he do that?"

Charlie patted his back. "He's really sorry. He doesn't know why he did that but he's really sorry."

"I don't want to see him", Funny Man said, drying his tears and taking off his hoodie to reveal his bloodshot eyes. "I think he made his point in showing me we're over."

"No, that's not true, Funny. He loves you!" Charlie hushed and he beckoned Danny to come towards them. Danny slowly walked towards the two, facing Funny Man's back. "I do love you."

The Mexican turned around. "Then why did you kiss Deuce?"

"I don't know."

"That's cheating."

"No, it wasn't. You broke up with me", Danny accused with squinted eyes.

Funny Man only now seemed to realize that he had and wrapped his arms around Danny. "We both made mistakes. I shouldn't have broken up with you and you shouldn't have kissed Deuce. Forgive me?"

"If you forgive me", Danny replied burying his face in the other's warm chest. Charlie clapped in his hands. "How romantic! Now kiss and make up!"

Funny Man chuckled despite his sad eyes and leaned down to capture the other's lips. For a moment it was very romantic and sweet how they kissed each other after a fight where they both did something wrong, but when the kiss didn't stop, Charlie begun to feel awkward. "Uhm… I said kiss and make up. Not kiss and make out."

Danny chuckled and let go of his boyfriend. "Sorry."

"Cockblocker", Funny Man groaned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	29. The End of Your Line

There was still one fight to solve. Now J-Dog was back at the bus, just like Funny Man. The tension was tangible in the air. They could charge their phones on the electricity between the two of them. Johnny chased everyone into the bunk parts. "OK guys, let's give J-Dog and Danny some privacy to solve this."

Funny Man whined but didn't protest as he got shoved into the tight space. The four of them sat down and played some card game. J-Dog folded his arms and glared at the lead singer. "I've got nothing to say to a whore like you."

"Whore? Why? Because I kissed the one you broke up with 5 years ago? Get over yourself, Jay", Danny shot with a murderous glare.

J-Dog squinted his eyes. "Deuce never raped you."

"Yeah he did", the lead singer defended.

The rapper shook his head. "Here's what actually happened: you seduced him with your innocent, big chocolate eyes, he gave in and fucked you and then you regretted it. You regret it enough to call the rape-alarm."

"You know nothing", Danny growled with clenched fists.

"I know you're a whore. You kiss the interest of your best friend. Don't even try to shove the blame onto the kidnapping!" J-Dog shouted.

The lead singer was about ready to leap at the other but held his feelings in check, instead he wore a shit-eating grin and chuckled. The rapper frowned. "What's so funny?"

"Oh nothing, just… You and Deuce."

"I'm thirsty", Funny Man complained after he'd won the sixth round of poker. The three others broke in chips and him sitting there with all kinds of colored chips in front of him. He earned a glare from all three of them. Oh how they were glad they hadn't agreed on strip poker as Funny Man seemed to be the king of the game. He got up. "I'm gonna get a bottle of water, you guys want anything?"

"You'll disturb them", Johnny warned, shuffling the cards between his fingers.

"Don't care, humans die without water!"

"Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you", the blue masked rapper sighed and divided the cards again.

Funny Man rolled his eyes and opened the door carefully not to disturb their conversation. It didn't seem like they were making up any time soon. Danny was grinning like the Cheshire cat and J-Dog seemed confused. He tiptoed closer but still hidden in the shadows.

"What about me and Deuce?" J-Dog asked.

Danny let out a mean laugh. "You two are pathetic. Did you know Deuce kissed me back? Did you see how he didn't push me away? Did you see how I enjoyed it? I don't regret it and neither does he."

The Mexican gasped like he just got shot into his heart with an arrow. He took small steps closer towards the two of them. "Really now?"

Danny whipped his head around and covered his mouth with both hands. "Fuck! I didn't mean for you to hear that!"

"Hear what? How you love Deuce instead?"

"I don't! I love you!"

"Spare me your excuses, Danny. God, you made me believe we both did things wrong, but you're the one to blame! You're the fucking slut who ruined everything. You destroyed 2 relationships with one fucking kiss. How could I be so blind?!" Funny Man spat.

J-Dog stepped back from the two. He was furious with Danny, but he couldn't get involved in their problems. That wasn't any of his business.

The lead singer pulled on his boyfriend's sleeve. "It's not like that! It was just something I said in a fight!"

"Shut up!" the baritone voiced rapper barked.

Danny closed his mouth and begged with his eyes for the other to forgive what he had said. They did the talking. 'please', they begged. He pulled on his sleeve again, but Funny Man pulled his arm away and made the other stumble backwards onto the floor. "No! We're over. Over and done. Forever!"

With those words he ran back to the others for another game of poker, the bottle of water long forgotten as rage and sorrow found its way into his heart. The feelings worked like scissors and cut into the thin rope of their connection. When love is one-sided, the connection is broken. Danny may love the Mexican, but he no longer felt anything. Anything towards anyone besides rage and sorrow.

As he closed the door and heard a loud cry outside, he met with three curious gazes. The loud cry outside the door faded into a pained one and despite himself, Funny Man could imagine what the scenery outside looked like. Danny on his knees with his hand to his heart as he felt the connection disrupted, like a heart ripping into two, equal halves and shattering into nothing but dust. He was crying, again, like he did a lot lately. This time he couldn't flee to his bunk since they occupied the space. Instead he heard the front door open and close. A déjà vu made its way into his head. This had happened before but the other way around. Danny had heard them talking about his problems and had ran off into the night. Now Funny Man had heard them talking about his kiss with Deuce and still, Danny was the one who ran off into the evening of Day 35.

He refused to explain himself to the gazes of his friends and answered them with a glare, to which they averted their eyes to their cards. J-Dog opened the door to the bunk part and sat down in between the Mexican and Johnny. He cleared his throat. "As much as I hate to admit, we're gonna have to search for the dipshit."

Funny Man shot him a murderous look. "He is not a dipshit. He's a whore, but not a dipshit and I don't tolerate you talking about him like that."

At first J-Dog had a nasty remark ready to shoot into the other's face, but the devilish tone in his voice silenced him. All three of the others were dumbfounded. Charlie was the first who dared to speak a word. "So Danny ran off?"

"Yeah, he's such a big baby. Always starting to cry when things don't go according to his plans", J-Dog murmured, watching the others play cards. They were sick of playing poker and now played Fish.

He earned a growl from Funny Man and decided to shut up on the subject. Da Kurlzz hummed. "Babe, you got jacks for me?"

"Depends on what you want me to jack", Charlie grinned, throwing a red jack into the drummer's direction.

Da Kurlzz rolled his eyes and placed a card to the other side of his hand. "Very cute, but you won't be smiling when I beat your ass at this game. What about you, Funny Man? You got jacks for me?"

The Mexican sighed and lowered his cards. "How could he do that to me? How could he just rub it in my face that he liked the kiss with Deuce?!"

The screamer grumbled. "You could've just said 'go fish' if you didn't have any."

"Stupid Danny with his stupid smile and his stupid cute brown eyes and his stupid brown hair and his stupid pout and his stupid… Oh fuck, I miss him", Funny Man mumbled.

Johnny patted his back. "I'll go find him, you give Kurlzz your jacks because you do have one."

"How did you know?" the Mexican wondered, throwing his jack onto the floor.

The blue masked rapper grinned and tucked his cards underneath the stack in the middle. "The card flipped around when I was dealing them. Sorry."

Funny Man grumbled and bent over his cards protectively. "Give Danny a good beating from me, OK?"

"No", Johnny responded and left the bus.

J-Dog made an unhappy sound. "He could've just given his cards to me… Now I'm still a sitting duck!"

"Don't be a baby now, Jay", Da Kurlzz told him and he lay his 4 jacks out in front of him. "I'm good at this!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	30. Frenemies

Poke.

"Stop it, I'm trying to sleep."

Poke. "Already?"

"Yeah! What else am I supposed to do?"

Poke. "Don't know"

"I swear I'll bite your finger off."

Poke.

"Dave!" Deuce barked and shot upright in his berth. He was pissed off. Danny told him he was considering to drop the charges so why was he still in that stinking, rotting cell with Dickhead Dave? Only then he noticed the officer standing outside their cell. She was holding the keys up. "Thank you, Dave, I'll take it from here."

Dave grinned at her with his shining white teeth, which was pretty much the only clean thing about him. His long, curly hair looked like he hadn't washed it in weeks and his clothes were all ripped, intentionally though. He gave Deuce thumbs up. "You got a visitor!"

"Oh, right, Jay", Deuce grumbled and got up. He didn't want to face his ex-boyfriend after Danny had kissed him. He knew he'd get a million insults thrown to his head, just to take the other's hand into his own and make up again. Always the same old, boring routine of their fights. Mostly they weren't even fights, just one of them getting upset. One of them _aka J-Dog_. He got up and stretched, wearing a small grin on his face as he entered the visitor's room. The door opposite of him opened and revealed someone else than his beloved: Danny.

"What the? Where's J-Dog?" Deuce asked, taking a look at the window but seeing no one except for the officer lady. He cocked his head confused as the lead singer sat down in front of him. His eyes were red, he had been crying and he looked beaten. How the tides had turned. That noon Deuce had looked beaten and now Danny was the one who looked beaten. "I don't know", Danny responded, his voice small and fragile.

Deuce hummed. "Let me guess. Don't say it! I'm gonna guess what happened to you. I'm guessing Funny Man broke up with you over the kiss and J-Dog beat the crap out of you? Well, "The crap". He slapped you, I spot a red mark on your cheek."

Danny shook his head. "Funny Man broke up with me before the kiss. We got back together but he broke up with me when I was fighting with J-Dog over it."

"What the?" Deuce answered, turning his head more in confusion.

The lead singer chuckled sadly. "Let me tell you the whole story. So Funny Man broke up with me because I was tough to handle with my traumatic behavior and I got furious while he still loved me. Then police wanted me to tell them if I was dropping the charges, which I am. I visited you, kissed you and both Funny and Jay ran away. J-Dog was awaiting my arrival in front of the office and shoved me on the floor. Funny was gone so Charlie and I were looking for him. We found him and he forgave me for the kiss because I forgave him for giving up when it became difficult. Then J-Dog and I were fighting. He said you didn't rape me but that I seduced you. I got mad and told him I enjoyed the kiss very much, just like you did and he was shocked. Funny Man heard it and broke up with me again."

Deuce dropped his jaw and whistled. "I'm not following, but the point of the story is that Funny Man broke up with you and J-Dog hates you, right?"

"Exactly", Danny smiled. "I didn't know where to go so I came to you."

"Danny, Danny, Danny. Let me ask you one thing. You don't have feelings for me, do you?" the ex-lead singer asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No!" the current lead singer snarled.

Deuce sighed in relief. "Good! Now that that's out of the way. You should ignore Jay, he's a big baby when it comes to us. And Funny Man will come back. I've seen the way he took you in his arms when they found you. He won't let you go."

"Thanks", Danny mused, sinking his head into his arms. "I'm pathetic, aren't I?

"A little", Deuce replied with a grin. "But it also shows how much you love the Mexican. I see that I have no reason to be jealous anymore. Thanks for that."

"Do you think you'll get back together with J-Dog any time soon?" Danny asked.

Deuce shrugged. "I don't get him right now. He storms in, accuses me of kidnapping you and walks out but the next day, he comes back and talks to me for hours to tell me just how much he's sorry for yelling at me. The kid's got mood swings."

"Have you met Jay?" the lead singer asked on a sarcastic tone. "If he acts like that then why do you still want him?"

"I guess I'm into crazy, moody guys", Deuce chuckled. He leaned back in the chair.

A moment of silence passed and Danny smiled sweetly. "Thanks for listening. I needed it."

"You're welcome, pet", the ex-kidnapped winked.

The lead singer grumbled. "Don't call me a pet."

"You love it", Deuce shot back.

Danny got up and waved goodbye. "See you next time."

"Next time", he smiled back.

The door closed and his smile faded. Fuck, he was getting attached to him. He didn't hate Danny and he didn't love him, but he was starting to enjoy his company little by little. Maybe they could be friends one day? One day, yes, but not today. Today Deuce was gloating because Danny enjoyed the kiss and broke two hearts. A bonus as they say.

When the lead singer left the police office, he felt better about it all. Funny Man would come back. He'd come back and they'd live happily ever after. "There you are!"

Sadly that wasn't the voice of his beloved Mexican. It was Johnny who found him. "Where's Funny?"

"He's playing Fish with the others", Johnny replied. He was actually very neutral in the whole game between Danny, J-Dog, Deuce and Funny Man. He didn't choose sides. Not siding with J-Dog because he was acting like a moron and not siding with Danny because he was insane. Not for scarring himself, singing falsely and covering the walls with blood-written words, but for kissing Deuce out of all guys! DEUCE! His kidnapper!

"So Funny really doesn't care anymore?" Danny asked, his voice breaking a little and betraying of just how insecure he was on the inside. Johnny felt his walls of indifference falter and swung his arm around the lead singer. "He does. J-Dog called you some nasty names and insults but Funny Man silenced him with a murderous glare every time. He didn't want Jay to talk about his beloved like that."

Danny let a small smile creep onto his lips and jumped in the air. "He still loves me!"

"Of course, that doesn't disappear overnight", Johnny replied, face forming into a 'are you fucking kidding me'-look.

"We'll live happily ever after", the lead singer continued as if the other hadn't said a word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	31. Three Little Words

"Fuck it, I'm off to bed", Charlie shouted, throwing his cards onto the table. Da Kurlzz yawned. "Me too, babe, wait."

"Would you stop 'babe'-ing me?" Charlie asked.

The drummer grinned and shook his head. "I think that nickname fits you perfectly."

"No, it makes me feel like one of your flings whose name you can't remember", the bandana rapper whined.

"Be happy you got a none-cheating boyfriend", Funny Man barked and hopped into his own bunk in boxers. He was so empty inside without the beating heart of his beloved. J-Dog silently crawled under his blankets and turned his back towards the others. Kurlzz stripped down to underwear and got into the shared bunk, nudging Charlie to move over. "Stop taking so much room, you!"

"Stop complaining, babe", Charlie mocked with a glare.

The screamer chuckled and pinched his cheek. "You cheeky asshole. You love me."

"I got a nice riddle for you. Three little words every girl wants to hear", Charlie grinned.

"I love you", Da Kurlzz answered with a shrug.

The bandana rapper shook his head. "Suck my dick!"

"That's the worst joke ever. You got it off internet, didn't you?"

"Yeah."

"My, you love me enough to tell me your stupid internet jokes? You really do love me."

"Still, how do you know when I never told you?" Charlie whispered. In the other's minds, he replayed every moment he had told the bandana rapper he loved him. Only days ago he had told him again and Charlie had only replied with 'good for you'. Even worse, when he was angry with Charlie after the interview, the bandana rapper had said 'why do I have to _**like**_ him out of all guys'. Never once did he talk about love.

Da Kurlzz widened his eyes in shock. "It's true. In these 4 fucking years. You never once told me you loved me…but you do, right?"

"…"

"Charlie!" the drummer screamed, startling everyone around them.

The bandana rapper laughed and tugged Da Kurlzz down until their noses were almost touching. "You dork. I've told you those three little words A LOT!"

"Then why can't I remember you saying it?" the screamer glared.

Charlie pecked his lips. "Because I tell you every night when you dose off. I've told you I loved you every night since we got together. That's 1461 times, you know?"

"Tell me now. I want to be conscious when you say it", Da Kurlzz mused.

The rapper moved his lips closer to the other's ear. "I love you, Mattie."

Right there and then his boyfriend turned into a gooey pile of flesh and bones as he cuddled into the other's embrace. "I love it when you say it."

"Go to sleep already", Funny Man growled.

Both men giggled silently and hushed each other. Da Kurlzz finally found the most comfortable spot ever; head in the junction of Charlie's neck and collar bone, a leg over his and an arm around his waist. "He's jealous of how perfect we are", Charlie hushed and kissed the other's cheek while he sweetly fell asleep, again whispering those three small words.

The Mexican was so unhappy with the way things went right now. How could his two idiots of bandmates be all lovely against each other while he just broke up with his boyfriend? He hated it! J-Dog was already gone in a deep sleep. The creaking of the front door pricked Funny Man's ears and he listened carefully with closed eyes. Danny and Johnny. He heard them and tried to make out their conversation but some words he couldn't quite make out.

"….loves me, right?"

"….know he does."

"….he'd forgive me."

"Funny Man is acting…"

"A cute one."

"Ugh."

The door to the bunk part opened and a light shone on them. Danny's figure was small, but unmistakable. He looked back at Johnny and softly whispered: "Isn't he cute when he's asleep?"

Funny Man heard Johnny reply with a sigh. "Sure, Danny, sure."

Despite his rage and sorrow, the Mexican held back a grin. So the lead singer still thought he was cute? No, stop it!

Johnny got into his bunk before Danny, who was stripping down to his boxers and providing a view for Funny Man. Well, hello, cute butt! How he wished Danny hadn't pushed him off him when he wanted to go further. How he wished he could've had a taste of Danny. How he wished he could've. How he wished he didn't have to break up with him again. He couldn't so he closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep. Danny bent down and kissed his forehead. "Sleep tight, Funny, I'm sorry you hate me now."

Funny Man felt a warm feeling in his chest and scurried backwards towards the wall. The lead singer shivered and got into his own bunk. Fuck! Johnny shook his head and bent down towards the Mexican. "Sneaky bastard. Get in his bunk. I don't want to wake up because of his screams tonight, OK? No buts!"

Funny Man grumbled something intelligible and turned over. He waited 30 minutes and sneaked out of his own bunk. All of the others were asleep so he placed his feet into Charlie's old bunk and pushed himself upwards until he could see Danny's back. He climbed on it and lied next to the lead singer. He turned his back towards him, not bothering to hold him as they weren't an item anymore. He sighed and fell asleep like that. Danny opened one eye and smiled. This would be a lovely night.

Strangely he didn't wake anyone with screams that night. He didn't dream about anything at all and just slept the whole night. The first thing he noticed in the morning, was the lack of the warm spot against his back. Funny Man was already awake and out of the bunk. So Danny stretched, bumped his back into something and heard a surprised yell. Miscalculation! The Mexican was in fact still in his bunk, but now he had accidentally pushed him six feet down onto the floor. For the third time. First time was when he slipped and second time when he freaked out over the rape memory. He jumped down to help him up. "I'm so sorry! I didn't know you were in my bunk."

Total lie, but anything to avoid a fight, right?

"It's fine. I'm OK. Just…Go back to sleep", Funny Man groaned and got up. His eyes briefly met Danny's. He couldn't handle the care and love in his look so he averted his towards the floor. Even if it was only a split second, Danny had seen the longing in the other's eyes. How he wished he could forgive him and make up again. He really wanted Funny Man to forgive him. "Can we talk?"

It was out there before Danny realized, but as soon as the words left his lips, he bit his lip and awaited the answer. The Mexican swallowed thickly and guided his ex-ex-ex-boyfriend, how do you call a boyfriend you broke up with, got back together with and broke up with again?, towards the couch where the others wouldn't hear them.

"What is it?"

"I miss you and you miss me. Why don't we get back together?"

"Because we failed, twice! Fate is trying to tell us that we're not meant to be."

"Fate doesn't know shit!"

"Danny, please, we're over."

"Doesn't it matter that I love you?"

"It does matter, but in this situation it's irrelevant. You've grabbed a knife and pointed it at J-Dog. You wrote 'Deuce' in blood, you wrote 'Love?' in blood and you've scarred yourself. All of those are things you claim to be 'freak outs'. Maybe I'm one of your freak outs?"

Danny pouted. "Deuce is my freak out. You're the only thing that keeps me upright."

"Come here", Funny Man whispered and took him into his arms. "I'm still your buddy. I'm still your wingman, your friend. I still like you and I'll still be your King Kong bodyguard. I'm just not your boyfriend anymore."

The lead singer hid his face into his chest. "Promise?"

"I promise", the Mexican hushed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	32. Progress

Day 36: progress since day 13

Subject: nightmares.

Observation: Danny's nightmares rage on like crazy except for the night of Day 35. Reason: unknown.

Subject: freak out.

Observation: last time of scarring himself was the night of day 34. Further observation necessary.

Reason: mental state is still unstable. Freak outs continue to occur.

Subject: singing.

Observation: when eyes are pointed his way, the singing quality falters. When backs turned towards Danny, the singing hits all the right notes with a slight vibration which shows how nervous he gets with an audience.

Reason: Danny still thinks people stare at his scars.

Medication: 1 pill before each meal, 1 pill each 4 hours, 1 pill before bed

Johnny rubbed his eyes tiredly and checked the list over and over to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything. He stretched and folded the sheet to let it disappear into his back pocket. Danny wasn't stable, that was true. Mostly because of the break up with Funny Man. He didn't shut the world out, like before, but he was visibly upset whenever he saw the other. Possibly because he no longer earned hugs and kisses when he wasn't feeling well. Now he had to deal with it like the others. Except for Charlie and Da Kurlzz who seemed to have renewed their relationship and were stickier than ever!

Johnny was fine with the two in love, but he despised their public affection now that they were out in the open. A kiss here and there and not just a kiss. Oh no, a full make out session! Sweet words, lap sitting and the list goes on. He hated it.

They should just go back to when they were a secret. Affections kept to a minimum. No, they all should go back to the time before Danny got kidnapped. No relationships at all! No break ups. No freak outs. No lists on the progress of Danny's mental state. No inappropriate behavior. No talks about butt sex. He shuddered. Before it all happened, his friends were bad ass. Charlie was a real gangster. J-Dog wanted to be in a gang. Funny Man rapped the sickest verses in his low voice. Da Kurlzz was a dork and still is a dork. Now Charlie was Da Kurlzz' 'babe'. Now J-Dog was a love sick soul, visiting their rival whenever he had the chance. Now Funny Man was a sticky boyfriend. And Danny! Oh Danny! At first he was a sweet, shy singer with the beautiful voice. Not really acting special, not answering much. He rather tagged along with the others. Now everything was suddenly about him. Not about his kidnapping, but about his love life. Now it was all about Danny's depression because the Mexican broke up with him for the second time, right after they got back together. It was infuriating how things had changed. The only one staying the same, seemed to be Johnny. He groaned and his head hit the table. "Why me?"

"Johnny?"

"Yeah?"

"They're freeing Deuce today", J-Dog piped up.

Johnny lifted his head off the table with a scowl. "So?"

"Would you…mind if I go see him when he gets out?" his friend asked shyly.

The blue masked rapper shrugged. "I don't care. Ask Danny."

J-Dog threw his hands up in despair. "You know Danny and I aren't on speaking terms."

"Yeah, why is that?"

"He blames me for his break up and I hate him because he's a whore", J-Dog complained.

Johnny growled. "Would you guys stop acting like a fucking soap?"

His friend fidgeting with his fingers on the keys of the door to the bus. "We've always acted like a soap. We just kept it hidden for you."

"The good old times", Johnny murmured.

"What?"

"Nothing. Go talk to Deuce tonight. Tell him I said 'kill yourself'."

J-Dog chuckled. "I'll tell him you said hi."

The other rapper was reminded of a conversation they had before. "Are you going to introduce Funny to a cute girl?"

"Maybe. We'll see. Maybe I'll just push Danny off a bridge."

"Or kick him out of the band?" Johnny asked skeptically.

J-Dog nodded. "That's an option. Only if his voice doesn't go back to normal. What's the point in having a singer who can't sing for crowds? Then we might as well use Charlie as our lead singer."

Then he disappeared again, probably going for a walk. Some rest at last. Think again. There was Danny! He came running, as far as you can run in a bus, and skidded to a halt next to the blue masked rapper. "I heard Jay talk about me."

"Yeah, about your singi- Did you eavesdrop on us?"

"Maybe", Danny admitted with a shy smirk.

"He just thinks you should recover quickly", Johnny said, hiding a part of the truth. Then he straightened his back as another idea popped into his head. "Oh and keep an eye on Funny Man."

"Are you making fun of me?" the lead singer threatened with a deadly, dark, low voice.

"Not at all. Take my advice, please", the taller of the two shuddered. And then he left the lead singer confused and trying to figure the whole situation out. With that Day 36 slowly went by, like in the movies where you see the sun quickly going from left to right. Down the sun goes in such cartoons or movies or something, but there it wasn't dark yet. It was a chilly evening as J-Dog said goodbye to everyone. Mostly he earned a goodbye back, but from Danny he only got a grunt. He didn't care. Danny was pretty much dead to him right now. He could suck his dick and jump off a bridge for all he cared. The cold evening air blew through his jacket, which he zipped up a little more before walking off to the police office. He didn't know what to expect when he arrived. Did he think Deuce wouldn't be there? That they wouldn't release him? That he'd be already gone? That he'd run towards J-Dog? He didn't know. Not now that the ex-lead singer had become so unpredictable. He certainly didn't expect him to stand in front of the office like nothing was going on, smoking a cigarette. From where he was standing, he could see it wasn't Deuce's first cigarette and it probably wasn't his last either. He stood there, doing nothing. After so long he was finally released and he didn't rush back home. J-Dog squeezed his eyelids shut and let a sigh escape his lips. "Fuck me."

He slowly made his way towards Deuce, as if he was approaching a tiger instead of his ex-boyfriend. He made sure not to startle him as he wanted to tap his shoulder. No, wait! That would definitely be startling. Instead he just appeared in front of him. Deuce raised an eyebrow, not really interested or surprised. It was hard to tell what he was feeling at the moment he saw J-Dog since his reaction was pretty much zero so J-Dog decided to talk first. "Hey."

"Didn't expect to see you here. No, that's not true. I thought you'd come here but I didn't expect it because of Danny."

"There's nothing between me and Danny", J-Dog groaned.

Deuce laughed in a mockingly. "I'm talking about what's between Danny and ME."

"There's nothing between you. It was just a kiss?" J-Dog stated, confused and asking to be sure.

The ex-singer smirked. "Who knows? I may have the hots for him. He was my victim for 2 weeks."

J-Dog scanned the other but didn't find anything as close as a hint of a joke in his hostile behavior. "Oh. I guess I'll…head home then."

He turned around, about to leave when Deuce burst out laughing. "You should see your face, dude. Really now? After 5 fucking years, you're still not over me? What did you expect when you came here? Did you expect me to hug you? Be thankful you and your boys locked me up in jail for 23 fucking days? Love you even though what you said to me in the car park? With how you chewed on me and spit me out like I was nothing?"

_Who the fuck are you, Aron? You're not the one I met, not the one I fell in love with, not the one I had a future with. You're nobody. You're what we sing about in our songs. You're everything that's wrong with the world. You're not even worth killing!_

J-Dog shrunk with each word until he couldn't handle it anymore. "Stop it! Do you think it's easy? Lying to my 5 best friends in the fucking world because I want to be with their enemy? Thanks to you, I've lost one already. Danny's not my friend anymore. He can shoot a bullet through his head if he likes and I won't give a shit. You act like you're a victim but you tore open old scars!"

With those words he turned around and walked away. About 6 feet further he stopped and turned around. "What I said in that car park. That was the biggest lie I've ever told. Bye, Deuce."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	33. Brush Up

It was Day 37 and up to now, nothing's changed. The night of Day 35 must've been an exception because the nightmares were still there and made Danny scream out his lungs until his voice was nothing but a raspy and raw whisper, even if he was shouting. The evening of Day 36 he behaved strangely too. Define strange for a whack-job? Fine. He constantly sneaked around like someone was out to get him. Whenever anyone would speak to him, he'd hiss, loudly and with a lot of spit. At first they tried to reason with him, then they ignored it like it was normal. Soon Da Kurlzz came up with the idea that maybe something was going on. Something more than Danny's animalistic sneaking and hissing. Maybe he was desperately trying to hide another freak out he had. Maybe he freaked out, smashed his bunk and was trying to hide it by not answering any of their questions. First they laughed it off as Kurlzz talk. Soon Charlie turned to his boyfriend. "What if you're right?"

"Let's go check", Johnny decided.

J-Dog complained loudly. "We don't have to babysit him!"

"We're not. We're protecting him from himself", Funny Man argued and went along with Johnny, Da Kurlzz and Charlie to check up on every part of the bus. J-Dog hit the back of his head against the wall. "I hate that fucker."

Suddenly Danny was in front of him like an anxious deer. "Is he…gone?"

"What?"

"Is Deuce here?"

"No. Go freak out somewhere else, Danny", J-Dog shooed him.

The lead singer widened his eyes as if he was about to scream in terror. "You're… on his side, aren't you? You want me dead too!"

The rapper hid his face in his hands. "Go. Away."

He noticed the other didn't move an inch and looked to up. "I told you to-…What are those red marks in your neck?"

Danny ducked like he could hide the marks from him by getting on the floor. "Nothing!"

At the base of his neck, there were a lot of red marks, deep red marks leading underneath his shirt. "Take off your shirt, Danny."

"No!"

"Do it or I'll tell the others!"

The lead singer whined, hesitated but hissed again.

"Guys!" J-Dog yelled.

Johnny and Charlie came out of the driver's part. "No trace of freak out here."

"Neither is there a sign of it in the bunks", Da Kurlzz yelled as he and Funny Man entered. The four of them walked towards J-Dog to find out what his shouting was about. "What is it?"

"Look at Danny. He's got red marks in his neck but he doesn't want to take off his shirt!"

Funny Man came closer to Danny. "Please, Danny, take it off?"

"No! Go fuck yourself!"

"Then we'll do it the hard way", Johnny sighed and he grabbed Danny from behind, tackled him to the floor. Funny Man held his shoulder pressed to the floor as Johnny attempted to get his shirt off. Danny was screaming, kicking everything within reach and trying to claw out their eyes. "Let me go! Let me go! Deuce, no! please!"

Funny Man and Johnny looked each other in the eye. "Did he say 'Deuce'?"

"It's a freak out. He thinks he's in the car park again", J-Dog told them.

Johnny hurried and took the shirt off so they could let Danny go. And they did let him go. He stood up quickly, almost fainting because he saw black spots dancing in front of his eyes. "Why? Why do you all have to hurt me?"

No one answered the rhetorical question. They were too stunned by the view. Not that Danny's body was sexy, that was sure, but the red marks. They were all over his upper body, disappearing into his pants. The marks were all over his arms which the long sleeved shirt hid. It had been a little strange when they saw Danny with long sleeves after he came out of the bathroom about an hour ago, but now they knew why. What the hell did he do? That was all they could think about. Charlie cleared his throat. "What caused those…wounds?"

Danny lowered his eyes to the ground like he found the most interesting story ever where their feet took place. "…a hairbrush."

"Which hairbrush?"

"Da Kurlzz'."

"The one with the pins."

Da Kurlzz groaned. "Are you kidding me? That thing hurts as hell and you go brush your body with it? What the hell were you thinking?!"

"I need to get his hands off me. His filthy hands are all over me and I can't erase it!" Danny cried.

Again Danny had freaked out over the violation of his body back in the car park. This time it was worse than the previous time though. Previously wasn't that bad. Just talking about being stained. Now he had brushed himself until he was bleeding. Trying to pry off skin. His whole body was a collection of crusty, red marks and blood stains.

"Did you check the bathroom yet?" J-Dog asked.

Johnny's eyes widened until they were about to pop out of his head as he rushed towards it. As soon as he opened the door he gasped. "Oh fuck."

"What? What is it?!" Funny Man asked, running towards it and dropping his jaw. "How…did we miss that?"

"Why always the bathroom, Danny? Why?" J-Dog groaned.

Danny had fallen to the ground by now, his arms wrapped around him tightly and his crying louder now. He was ashamed. Ashamed the others had discovered what he did to himself that evening. That was the evening of Day 36. As for the bathroom… Da Kurlzz had to get a new hairbrush, this time without human flesh and blood on it. One of them had to scrub the bathroom clean. They had put Danny to bed, completely drugged because of an emergency-sedative they got from the therapist in the hospital. It couldn't hurt but you did need a prescription, which they got. Danny didn't know about the pill, but she said they could only give it to him during a freak out. Which they did. After he was asleep, they had to pick who would scrub the bathroom. Guess who? J-Dog. He had to scrub the splashes of blood off the shower wall. Great! Since that evening he was a little bit pissed and everyone noticed how rude and moody he had become. Which brings them back to Day 37. As said, it was Day 37 now. J-Dog was extremely moody and snapping at everyone. When J-Dog was moody, no one could get over his behavior. Except for one. There was one person who was more intimidating when he was pissed off: Charlie. You thought it was Johnny, didn't you? Wrong. Johnny is intimidating, but even he can't change J-Dog's mind on something. Charlie doesn't change minds by talking. He does it differently. Don't worry, you'll love it.

J-Dog sat on the couch, grumbling for the 4th time that morning over something stupid. Only because he had to scrub the bathroom after Danny's freak out while he was having a fight with the other. Right after the grumble, Charlie lost his shit. He calmly made his way to the other rapper and stood in front of him.

"What?" J-Dog snapped.

Charlie pulled him on his feet by his shirt, which surely startled the other out of his angry state. "Huh?! Charlie?"

The bandana rapper then harshly slapped him across the face. "Are you kidding me? You're moody because you're having a fight with Danny over Deuce? You're moody because he freaked out? How do you think this all feels for him? Do you think he likes it when we all think he's crazy? Don't you think he feels guilty for making us worry or bothering us? He does! All you do, is think about yourself! All you do, is think about your stupid relationship with Deuce. Which is over! Get over yourself."

J-Dog gawped at him for a long time and fidgeted with his fingers. "It's none of your business", he murmured. Charlie rolled his eyes and got back to the kitchen where he made himself a sandwich. "You're right. It's not, but Danny's health IS my business."

Still, J-Dog was thinking about what he had said and sighed. Maybe he had to apologize to Danny for the fight and…the break up? Maybe. He'd think about it for another day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	34. Text Me

Unfortunately the world kept spinning while J-Dog thought about it for another day. As soon as Danny opened his eyes in the morning, he yawned and stretched. He felt a lot better than the evening before, though his whole body hurt because of the red marks. To distract himself he thought about other things. Like his phone. Deuce had crumbled his phone and now he needed a new one. It really was time to get a new one. So he got out of his bunk and greeted the others. They all seemed a little pissed off, which he didn't get. What was wrong? He didn't know. He didn't know Charlie had slapped J-Dog in the face.

He did know Johnny was still moody in the morning so he left him alone. He stepped out of the bus, not bothering answering the upcoming questions from the others. Instead he went to the nearest phone store and got himself an old model to live with until they got back to Los Angeles. There he'd buy a better phone. For 30 bucks he already found a nice, working phone which you could text and call with. He didn't need anything else. Oh! And you could play Snake on it too! That was a plus. Back in the bus things were alive again. Johnny wasn't moody anymore, Charlie wasn't either and J-Dog was watching over Funny Man's shoulder as he was browsing the internet for something.

"Johnny, can I lend your phone to put contacts on my new card?"

The blue masked rapper looked up. "What's up with your old card?"

"Deuce crumbled it. Can I have your phone?" Danny asked, pouting and pulling big eyes on the taller one.

Johnny sighed and took out his phone. "Fine, but you're not going to look at my messages, okay?"

"Why would I? I don't want to read about your sappy messages with your wife and mom."

Charlie laughed and patted Johnny on the head. "Burn."

The drummer next to him shot him a deadly glare, Charlie stopped smiling and sunk back into the couch. "Sorry."

The screamer turned into a putty and wrapped his arms around Charlie. "I love you."

Danny gagged and quickly copied all of the contact manually. It took a long time, interrupted by their lunch and when it was 4pm, he was finally done. Then he typed a message to all contacts. It read: _Hey everyone, it's Danny. This is my new number so please put it in your phones. Thank you!_

The next half hour he kept getting messages of people confirming he put it into his phone. First Charlie, Funny Man and Da Kurlzz answered. J-Dog only read it. Johnny answered as soon as he had his phone back. After 45 minutes he had read them all. In a while there were no more text messages. Until one: Deuce.

Deuce: _My, Danny. I never had your number in the first place. Why now?_

Danny felt the hairs on his arms stand up in fear. Should he answer it? He didn't really know what to do.

Danny: _Don't know, just copied all of Johnny's contacts and sent a message to everyone. It's nothing personal._

The answer came almost immediately.

Deuce: _That's not very sweet of you, little pet. You were nicer to me when I was arrested._

Danny: _you're free?_

Deuce: _Didn't J-Dog tell you?_

Danny: _J-Dog and I aren't on speaking terms_

Deuce: _Right, because you kissed me_

The lead singer's face flushed red as he typed a reply.

Danny: _Sorry about that. I was confused._

Deuce: _Confused? I'm offended. Didn't you like a taste of me? I sure liked a taste of Danny…_

The lead singer made a weird face.

Danny: _Are you flirting with me? What about J-Dog?_

Deuce: _What about him? He broke up with_ _me_ _. He trampled over_ _me_. _I can flirt with anyone I like._

Danny: _So you like me?_

Deuce: _Let's say you taste pretty good, little pet_

Danny: _Thanks, I guess. I love Funny Man, though._

Deuce: _And I love J-Dog so who cares what we talk about? Be a little happy, little pet, I complimented your soft lips instead of your butt._

Oh really now? The lead singer felt anger boil as he typed the next message.

Danny: _Be happy? For what? Because you raped me? Because you abused me? Because you hurt me? Thank you, Deuce. Thanks for the nightmares. Thanks for the freak outs. Thanks for my wounds. Thank you._

He felt pretty happy about himself when he typed and sent it, but he didn't expect the reply.

Deuce: _I have nightmares too, I freak out too and I have wounds too. I've been dealing with that for 5 fucking years. You've only had them for what? A month? How pathetic._

It was downright infuriating!

Danny: _How dare you? You're such a fucking asshole. I can't believe I kissed you._

Deuce: _Because you're attached to me and I'm attached to you. We can't let it go. Besides, I don't want to fight you, little pet. I only want to move on like nothing's happened. Even if you're hurt. What do you want me to do about it? Turn back time? I can't, baby. I'm sorry. But an apology won't change a thing._

At that, he got up off the couch and moved to the bunks part. He climbed up on the highest bunk, sunk his head into his pillow and left his phone for dead next to him. He didn't want to hear anything anymore. His kidnapper apologized but he was right. He couldn't turn back time with his apology. He couldn't do a thing with it and he hated it. He stayed like that, in his bunk. He skipped dinner, though Charlie came in and brought him the plate of food. He refused. He wasn't hungry. That's when Funny Man climbed onto the ledges of Charlie's bunk to take a look at Danny. "Are you still depressed over the break up?"

"Don't flatter yourself, Funny", the lead singer mused and turned to face the Mexican. He leaned over and kissed his forehead. "Thanks anyway."

"I'm your buddy, right?" Funny Man smiled.

Danny couldn't return the smile. He couldn't do anything but grimace, but Funny Man didn't notice it. He actually did, but he knew something was going on which had nothing to do with him, so he pretended not to notice. He pretended he was fine and Danny appreciated it greatly. "Yeah."

The night fell and soon everyone was in their bunks. Danny got one more text message. From Deuce:

_Good night, little pet. I sure hope you'll forgive me. Don't listen to J-Dog's awful words. He can go suck a dick._

With that he fell asleep with a smile. Next morning, they were texting again. Their serious conversation was over now and now they were texting like nothing had happened. They were rejected by their beloved and found comfort in each other.

Deuce: _I'm so bored. They don't want to give me my car back. It's going to take forever to get back to Los Angeles_

Danny: _That sucks. I don't know why, but we haven't left for LA yet_

Deuce: _Damn, can I hitch a ride?_

Danny: _I'd let you, but I don't know about the others_

Deuce: _It's cool, little pet. Sorry for asking x_

… Did he add an X to a message?! He never saw that coming. Now he felt kind of weird. And he thought about the proposal of offering Deuce a ride. Who would object? If the victim was okay with it, so were the others, right? They should be. He could ask them if he wanted to.

"Danny, can we talk?"

It was J-Dog who knocked him out of his thoughts. He rolled over and looked at the rapper. "What is it?"

"I'm sorry Funny Man broke up with you because of what you said to anger me and I forgive you for kissing Deuce. I just hoped we could be friends again?"

Danny smiled. "Thanks. I forgive you for… You didn't do anything, but I forgive you anyway."

A text message.

"Who are you texting?"

"No one."

"Don't be silly. Who is it?"

"No one. No! Don't take my phone!"

Too late. J-Dog had the phone in his hands and was now reading the message aloud. "If you'd give me that ride, I'd love to spend time with you. You know, get to know the real Danny instead of the little pet."

His look turned into confusion. "You're texting Deuce?!"

He said it loud enough for the others to look at him. "He's doing what?"

"Danny's texting Deuce! He proposed to ride back with us to Los Angeles!" J-Dog screamed towards the others.

"What the?! Why?" Funny Man yelled back.

Danny jumped out of his bunk and got in the other part with them. "I just… He started it. He started texting me and I just responded, but he's so nice to me now. He's really sorry about what he did. Maybe if he rode with us, we'd spend some time together?"

"That's what he says, but you can't trust him", Johnny replied.

"I know I can't trust him, but I want to get to know him. The real him. If I don't like it, I'll just dump his number and kick him out of the bus, right?" Danny innocently asked.

"I think it's a bad idea", Johnny sighed.

"Yeah! Deuce is mine!" J-Dog exclaimed, but quickly sucked his words back in. "Sorry. I'm fine with the ride part though. We can give him a ride back to LA."

Da Kurlzz shrugged. "I don't know. I don't think it's a bad idea at all. Maybe if Danny and Deuce become friends, we won't be at war anymore with him."

"Who cares if we're at war?" Johnny growled.

"I do. I'm sick and tired of this media war", Da Kurlzz groaned and Charlie backed him up on it. "It's pretty tiring to answer all those stupid Deuce-questions."

Funny Man got up and stood in front of Danny. "Are you sure of this?"

"I am."

"Then I trust you on this one", the Mexican whispered.

Johnny threw his hands up. "Fine! Since I'm outnumbered, we'll give him a ride."

And Danny texted back:

_The guys are fine about giving you a ride. Where should we pick you up?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	35. Pick Me Up, Put Me Down

The air was thick and tense. There's no doubt a light bulb would glow if it was placed in the bus. The vehicle hit a bump in the road and made them jump a little. It was quiet, an eerie silence. Charlie cleared his throat and drew all eyes towards him, to which he lowered his gaze. "Sorry. I didn't mean to make you guys think I was going to say something."

The first words in a while. Then it went back to silence. Johnny sighed loudly and tapped a pencil against the table. Tap tap tap. "So uhm Deuce will be waiting there?"

"Yeah", Danny answered lightly.

Tap tap tap.

"It's a couple of days driving to LA, where's he gonna sleep? On the couch?" Da Kurlzz asked.

J-Dog looked around in the room. "He's not getting in my bunk. I swear I'll kill you guys for that."

"I wouldn't mind", Danny mused, but when he caught on to J-Dog's glare, he shut his mouth like he had never even proposed it.

Tap tap tap.

"My bunk is empty. He can use it since I sleep with Mattie", Charlie stated, scratching underneath his cap lazily. He was wearing a cap inside, which they didn't get. Maybe they could somehow relate to it. Charlie didn't like to walk around without his cap. Maybe he was ashamed of his haircut? Or he felt naked without the little piece of clothing on his head?

Tap tap tap.

"I swear I'll jam that pencil up your ass if you don't quit it", Funny Man warned dangerously.

Johnny let go of the pencil and the silence returned.

"Not that it's any of my business but… do you like Deuce?" the Mexican asked Danny.

The lead singer shrugged. "He's alright as a person. He just made the wrong choices."

He knew he didn't mean the question that way. If he answered negatively, he wouldn't see the jealousy in Funny Man's eyes, but if he answered positively, he'd have to date Deuce, which he didn't want. He didn't like Deuce, he wanted Funny Man.

"Wanna practice your singing?" Johnny popped up.

Danny shrugged. "I can't sing with all eyes on my wounds."

"But your wounds are healed."

"Not completely. The brush wounds are fresh"

"Of course not completely. The doctor told you they would become ugly scars because of your constant scratching in your sleep", Funny Man grumbled. Day 38 and the wounds were healing slowly. Johnny made a mental note on it. J-Dog threw his head back and sighed. "So uh I don't know if you guys are OK with it, but I'll probably try to get back together with Deuce. He's changed."

"Great! We'll have 3 fucking couples aboard", Johnny groaned.

Funny Man shot him a glare. "Danny and I broke up, remember?"

"Fine. We'll have 2 couples aboard, a heartbroken crybaby and the dickhead who broke up with the crybaby", the blue masked rapper corrected, glaring at the Mexican the whole time.

"Didn't mean it that way", the baritone voiced rapper mumbled.

Danny yawned and stretched, then curled up against Da Kurlzz' side. "Do you mind or can I rest against you for a bit?"

The drummer shrugged. "I don't mind."

Charlie leaned forward to stare at the lead singer who had closed his eyes. "Great, now he's hogging my boyfriend."

"Don't worry, baby. There's enough Jet Kurlin' for everyone", Da Kurlzz grinned.

"Jet Kurlin?"

"That's my porn star name from that interview with Bryan Stars?" the screamer hesitantly replied.

The bandana rapper frowned. "I don't remember that interview."

"That's because it was Johnny and I", Da Kurlzz replied, scratching his curly hair. Charlie nodded and gazed over to Johnny. "What was your porn star name?"

"Big Dick Smelly Balls", Johnny replied with a grin.

The bandana rapper laughed and looked up at Kurlzz. "How the hell did you come up with Jet Kurlin?"

"No idea", Da Kurlzz replied and sunk further into the couch, feeling Danny shift against him and Charlie leaning more into him. "Damn, I'll never get out of the grip of the two of you."

"I wouldn't want to get out of it", Funny Man smirked. "A mix of Danny and Charlie? Damn."

"Hey! Charlie is mine", Da Kurlzz hissed.

The Mexican laughed. "I was kidding. I don't want either of them."

Danny pouted with closed eyes, but no one really paid attention to him. J-Dog shifted uncomfortably. He was out of the conversation, completely zoned out of it. He was too busy thinking what he would say to Deuce. Previously they parted with a fight. He won't forget about the fight and just chatter away. He'll expect a form of apology.

Johnny grazed his fingers over the pencil but quickly changed his mind when he was reminded of Funny Man's threat. "We're almost there. At the spot of doom."

Charlie chuckled. "You really hate Deuce, don't you?"

"Yeah, but look at the bright side: if he's going to stay on the bus for a couple of days, I can make him miserable!" Johnny smiled happily.

"Behave a little, Johnny", J-Dog hushed.

The blue masked rapper rubbed his hands together. "What'd you say? Bee hive? I hadn't even thought of that!"

"Johnny…"

"I'm kidding, Jay. Don't get your panties in a bunch", Johnny laughed.

J-Dog glared. "Fuck off."

The driver hit the brakes and shook them all awake, especially Danny. They were there. At the point where they had to pick up Deuce. None of them attempted to get up and open the door. What were they supposed to say to him? Danny growled and pulled himself upright, opening the door. He was greeted with the grim face of Deuce. He looked like he hadn't slept at all that night. "Hey."

"Hello."

The lead singer moved out of the way and let the other inside. All five pair of eyes were pointed straight at him when he walked in. He gulped and knew he couldn't just smile at that. They'd take it the wrong way. "Hey, everyone."

Their reaction wasn't quite easy to figure out. Johnny was glaring. J-Dog was confusing to look at. Funny Man joined in on the glaring. Da Kurlzz and Charlie had a blank expression on their face. Danny seemed scared shitless. Deuce sighed. "I shouldn't be here."

"Glad you get it", Johnny smirked and turned to the pencil again to tap it. He didn't care if Funny Man would shove it up his ass. He was allowed to. The Mexican hummed a soft tune. "This is quite awkward."

Deuce glanced at the table and caught a bucket of ice with some drinks in it. It was there so they didn't have to walk to the fridge whenever they wanted something to drink. He grabbed a big chunk of ice and crushed it. "Now that the ice is broken, it shouldn't be awkward anymore."

"That's so cheesy", J-Dog laughed.

Charlie snorted. "You did not just use a bad pick up line to ease the silence. I've read those online."

"Really? So did I", Deuce said. He sat down next to the bandana rapper and the tension seemed to ease a little bit. Danny curled against Da Kurlzz and grinned. "You're all mine now."

The screamer widened his eyes and tapped Charlie's shoulder. "Babe, don't leave me with Danny!"

Charlie shrugged his hand off his shoulder and turned to Deuce. "How do you manage to walk inside the lion's cave like this?"

"I'm desperate for a ride to LA. I've got some explaining to do to my band. They had no idea I was gone to kidnap Danny. They thought I was just going away for a few days", Deuce explained nervously.

Funny Man leaned in. "Wait, you just ditched your band?"

"I guess I did. I didn't expect this shit to happen. I just wanted to keep Danny away for like maybe two days or something? Scare you guys a little and then let him go again. I didn't expect so much hatred when I finally had Danny at my feet, broken and in pain", the ex-lead singer tried.

Danny winced a little. That's when Da Kurlzz softly pet his hair. "You shouldn't listen. You've only freaked out two days ago. Your wounds are still fresh."

"I don't want to run forever, Kurlzz. I thought I might get some closure if I become friends with him", Danny whispered.

The drummer nodded in understanding. "So that's why you've been so impulsive when it's about Deuce. You're trying to bring closure on the situation?"

"Yes. I don't like to be the attention whoring freak I am right now. I wanna go back to when I wasn't the center of the attention", the singer explained.

"You will, Danny, promised. Now don't push yourself with Deuce."

"I won't."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	36. Hey Wall

It was something to get used to; having Deuce aboard. After their serious conversation, it wasn't all fun and games anymore. It was uneasy. Especially when Deuce caught Funny Man glaring at him. He knew exactly why. Who wouldn't? He was the one Danny had kissed. J-Dog hadn't spoken a word to him. Not one. He felt uneasy at that. Even Danny didn't want to talk to him. Mostly because he seemed to mind the invasion of his safe home: the bus. He did ask them for the ride, right? So he shouldn't be so paranoid of the lead singer. Eventually they got used to it. The driver set course for Los Angeles and Deuce got to sleep in Charlie's old bunk. Day 40, a day as every other. Lots of screaming at night and lots of complaints. Complaints that Funny Man should get over himself and calm down Danny, but he didn't. In fact, he was sick and tired of being treated as Danny's boyfriend while he obviously broke up with him. Instead Charlie took it upon himself to calm down the distressed lead singer. Usually J-Dog would, but since Danny had been texting so much with Deuce, he was ticked off and angry with the lead singer. AGAIN.

In the morning Deuce was the first to be awake, except for J-Dog who went out to get them breakfast. He stretched in Charlie's bunk and looked over to the others. Charlie and Kurlzz, curled up against each other. Funny Man had his mouth open and was drooling. Johnny snoring heavily. The only one he couldn't spot, was Danny. He was two bunks higher. Deuce got out, stepped on the ledges and gazed at the singer. "Good morning", he whispered.

Danny turned to him and seemed unsettled, but he quickly eased up. "Morning. Sleep well?"

"Better than jail", he shuddered. He jumped off the ledge. "You coming?"

"No, I'll try to sleep some more. You go."

"OK."

Deuce scratched the back of his head and used the bathroom to shower and get dressed. By the time he got out, J-Dog was reading the newspaper at the table. Deuce sighed and sat down in front of him. "Anything interesting?"

The rapper looked up but gazed down again without saying a word. He just shrugged. "Cold bitch", the ex-lead singer murmured, but he didn't give the other the opportunity to fight it. He silenced him with a glare. They sat in silence, had breakfast together. Eventually J-Dog put down the paper. "Fine. What do you have to say?"

"Nice morning today", Deuce responded, knowing all too well the other didn't mean it like that.

"Fuck off, Deuce. Go play with Danny!"

"Thought you hated me for playing with Danny", he grinned.

J-Dog rolled his eyes. "Asshole."

"You love me for it."

"Cocky too."

"You like it."

"In your dreams."

"How about we get back together?"

"What?!"

J-Dog looked at him disturbed. "Why?"

Deuce shrugged. "Two negatives make a positive. You and I sure are negative now."

"Nice try. I can't throw away every single one of our fight", J-Dog concurred. He turned his attention the coffee machine as he got up to get some more. "Besides, it's been too long."

Deuce nodded. "Yeah, who knows how many guys you've fucked by now."

"That's stupid. None", he grumbled.

The other flung his hands in the air. "There you go! Neither have I? Know why not? Because YOU are in the way!"

"You sound like a murderer", the rapper mumbled.

"I was one", he replied with a blank expression. "It's up to you to figure out whether or not we can pick it up again."

J-Dog didn't answer him. He just drank his coffee, washed the cup and flopped down on the couch. Danny opened the door, shielded his eyes from the light and walked in, half-naked. "Sorry. Didn't mean to interrupt anything. Just. Shower."

They waved it off. _Danny again. Stupid fucker. He ruins everything. Deuce is definitely going to give me shit if I get jealous towards that fuck-up._ J-Dog sighed and just shook his head. "Whatever. I just don't want any more shit."

"Then start easy! Just a date", Deuce proposed.

"You change your mind more often than your underwear, don't you?" Jay stated.

The other shrugged. "It's a gift and a curse."

"Not very surprising."

Danny slammed the bathroom door open. "Fucking hate those stupid blood crusts. Do I look any better than a few days ago?"

Jay wanted to give a nasty hell of a comment, but swallowed it. "I think they're healing. How's your singing coming along?"

"Wanna try?"

"Sure", he replied for the band's sake.

Danny cleared his throat, looked both J-Dog and Deuce in their eyes and begun singing _Medicine_ softly. J-Dog opened his mouth to say something, but didn't when Danny smiled in between the lyrics. He continued and neared the end where he hit some difficult notes, but it didn't sound horrible. It was alright, still not perfect though. He listened carefully and held his hand up. "Wait. Sing me Coming Back Down?"

Danny nodded and shyly begun as he faced them. It was far from good, but it was a whole lot better than the first time. His jaw almost hit the floor. His singing awoke the others as they all made their way to the place to see if it was actually Danny who was singing. This was the most progress they had made in a long time. He shut up as soon as the chorus ended and seemed uneasy under the attention of his bandmates. "Could you do SCAVA?"

He shook his head. "Can't do that one yet. I actually do practice, but that one falters sometimes."

"Which songs are still a problem?"

"SCAVA, Levitate, Been To Hell, Mother Murder and My Town. Those are still a bit off. The others are fine within a few days", Danny told them, feeling proud of his recovery progress.

Johnny clapped his hands together. "Great. That's one problem solved. Now we need to solve two more."

"Two more?"

"The nightmares and the freak outs", Johnny enlightened them.

Danny whined. "The nightmares aren't my fault! And the freak outs are less frequent, right?"

"Says the one covered in brush marks", J-Dog commented.

"I feel so out of place", Deuce remarked, but no one reacted to it.

The lead singer put his arms around himself. "Don't look at the marks. I don't care what you think of them, but I won't tolerate staring. Got it?"

"I am talking to a wall", Deuce said.

"But Danny, people will be surprised to see it. Will you be able to handle all that stress on stage?" Charlie asked.

Danny shrugged.

"Hey wall, how are you? I'm fine, thanks for asking", Deuce mumbled.

"I think I'll be fine", Danny said. He looked at all of them, except for Funny Man. "I know I can do it with a few more rehearsals."

"What I'm up to? Ha! Nothing much, just talking to a wall", Deuce said.

J-Dog poked him with his elbow. "Cut it out!"

"This is amazing. We can do concerts again soon", Da Kurlzz mused.

The others agreed in silence. At least the positive things didn't give up on them yet. Maybe things were finally getting better for the band and Deuce.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	37. Like Oh My God

The next day Danny was practicing even harder. He was persistent on getting the notes perfect. He was just singing the best he could while Charlie guided him on the guitar. They rocked some pretty awesome songs, even managing to make up a new one together. They weren't on the road right now. They were parked near some shop so they could get some food and then hit the road again. As soon as the doors had opened, all seven of the boys had ran outside to get fresh air.

"Hey Danny, wanna go grab a bite? You must be starving after practice", Deuce offered and the lead singer tagged along. Who could blame them for wanting some closure to the negativity? J-Dog was dying of jealousy inside but one glare from Charlie calmed him down. He couldn't lose his shit so obviously or the others would hate him. He had to be patient and wait until justice bestowed upon the scenery and killed Danny.

Da Kurlzz and Johnny decided to go buy them some supplies, leaving J-Dog, Funny Man and Charlie to wander around in the city. "So where shall we go first?"

"Let's just go get a coffee or something. I need a hot beverage", Funny Man offered as they got inside some shop. They ordered a drink and sat down at the table. It wasn't very crowded inside. The interior was quite simplistic yet it brought along a nice warm cozy feeling. Like they were drinking some coffee at home by themselves. A girl was sitting at the window, checking her phone every once in a while. It wasn't hard to guess that she was waiting for her boyfriend to come since she was also glancing at the door every time it opened. Two guys took place behind her. By their looks it was most definitely a twin, but then again Charlie and his two brothers had been mistaken for triplets too.

The door opened again and the girl glanced to see if it was her boyfriend, but it wasn't. Instead a squeal filled the place. "Like oh my God, is that Charlie Scene?!"

Funny Man and J-Dog stifled their laughter when Charlie almost dropped his cup of coffee in surprise of hearing his name. "Maybe, depends on who asks."

He turned around in his chair and found a very attractive girl staring at him with big green eyes, long curled black hair. Her skin was tan. She wore a black tank top, a ripped jeans short and cowboy boots. A little black backpack too. "You really are Charlie Scene!"

"Yes I am and who are you?"

"I'm Jasmine. I'm a huge fan of yours!"

Funny Man snorted. "Thanks. We're here too, you know."

She waved it off. "No! Charlie is the funny one. Danny is the cute one. Johnny is the bad ass one. Da Kurlzz is the dorky one. J-Dog is the awesome one and you are the hot one!"

The Mexican grinned. "Ain't that nice to hear."

J-Dog smirked. "Why don't you take a seat with us?"

She widened her eyes. "Are you serious? Ah crap, I can't. I have to get to LA in a few days and as you can see, I'm gonna get there by foot."

Charlie looked at her surprised. "You're kidding, right? You shouldn't go there by foot!"

"We're on our way there. Why don't you hitch a ride with us?" J-Dog offered.

"We don't have room for her, Jay" Charlie sighed.

J-Dog cocked his head. "No? There is a couch. I don't mind taking the couch. She can have my spot."

"Still. There seven of us, one girl. That's bound to give problems", Charlie said.

Jasmine cocked her head as she took a seat. "Seven? You're a six piece band."

"Yes, but Deuce is hitching a ride too."

She widened her eyes. "Deuce is here too? I wanna see him! He's an asshole but I love his voice."

"He's not an asshole", J-Dog mused. "He's kind."

"Real kind to kidnap Danny", she snorted.

Funny Man grinned. "I like her already."

"We can't take her along", Charlie gasped. "Think about…the bunk I sleep in."

"Please, Charles, as if they don't know you and Kurlzz sleep together! You guys have been at each other ever since we've been on television for the interview!" J-Dog snarled.

Charlie flushed red. "Thanks a lot."

"Wait, you and Da Kurlzz are an item?"

"So are J-Dog and Deuce!" Charlie snapped in defense.

She stared at both of them. "That is so adorable. I always pictured J-Dog with Johnny and Danny with Funny. Or Danny with Charlie but then Da Kurlzz would remain single."

J-Dog scrunched his nose. "Me and Johnny? No way in hell."

Charlie turned his head lightly. "As adorable as Danny can be, he's more of a brother."

"And Danny and I aren't going to happen", Funny Man snarled.

"It already happened, Funny", Charlie argued but the Mexican wouldn't hear it. "I'm tired of being seen as his boyfriend. We broke up. Get over it."

Jasmine followed the conversation silently. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to accuse you of anything. There's just a bit of a big fandom about you guys."

"A fandom?"

"You know. OTP's."

"What's that?"

"One True Pairing. Everyone has a couple inside your band considered to be their OTP. My OTP has always been Da Kurlzz and Charlie because of their constant bickering and accusing each other of being gay", she explained with a smile.

Charlie sipped his cup. "Who's dominant in that pairing?"

"You are", Jasmine responded as if she was offended.

The bandana rapper smiled. "I like her. She can stay."

"She's wrong about it though. You're submissive", J-Dog grinned as he leaned back. "Let's ask the other guys if they're OK with her coming along. If you like of course", he asked her.

She nodded enthusiastically. "Are you kidding? I love you guys! Where are the others anyway?"

Funny Man thought for a second. "Da Kurlzz and Johnny are out for groceries while Danny and Deuce are out to find some food for themselves."

"How can Danny be friends with his kidnapper?" Jasmine asked baffled.

The Mexican shook his head. "I don't get it either! Stockholm-syndrome much?"

"Wouldn't that mean he's doing the guy?" Jasmine asked skeptically.

J-Dog grit his teeth. "If he does, I'm breaking his nose."

"So hostile. He's one of your best friends!"

"He was", J-Dog said, turning his head away.

That's when she shut up about the subject. "I can't believe I'm sitting here with half of Hollywood Undead."

Funny Man looked up out of his thoughts. "Can we really just pick up a girl like that?"

Charlie snorted. "You didn't have trouble with picking up girls before Danny."

J-Dog laughed. "Snap! Charles P is on fire!"

The Mexican jumped upright with the most murderous glare. "I swear, Charlie. For the last fucking time. DANNY AND I BROKE UP!"

Jasmine ducked her head. "I'll just walk to LA."

"No, don't. You can tag along", Funny Man said to her with a coy smile. "Maybe you'll be able to tell them Danny and I are completely over."

Charlie swallowed thickly. "I was just joking, Funny. Don't get your panties in a bunch."

"I'm through with the jokes, man. Let's go ask the others if she can come along. I've had enough of stupid jokes. You don't even take our break-up seriously."

J-Dog chuckled. "Because the last times you broke up, you got back together immediately."

"Not this fucking time", Funny Man cursed and stomped out of the coffee shop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	38. Anger Management

Danny's POV

Goodbye, sweet love of my life. Losing you cuts as deep as a knife. Beautiful lyrics, aren't they? I agree completely. Don't worry, I didn't do anything. I was just a little bit overdramatic when the whole mood started shifting. I didn't trust Deuce, but I was slowly getting along with him. He was sorry for what he did to me back then. I would forgive, but never forget. He didn't ask me to. I guess I just wanted some closure by forgiving him and leaving it all behind. J-Dog hated my guts for becoming buddies with Deuce. Fuck him. He can suck a dick for all I cared. What hurt me was what J-Dog did to me. He intentionally asked some random girl on her way to LA aboard to fuck with me and have Funny do her. Funny was a total mess trying to get over our relationship so of course he was jumping at a chance to forget me and find someone else.

That someone else? Jasmine of course. The slight changes were visible. First they started talking. Then they were drawn to each other when we were walking around. All of that happened in just one day. It was late when I awoke to take a piss. I heard whispers coming from the main part. I crept closer. Earlier that evening I'd gone to bed early because I was beaten. As far as I knew the others were still awake. I could see Funny Man sitting on the couch. He smiled and I smiled. I walked in the room. "Hey."

"Danny! What are you doing awake?"

"I had to take a piss but then I heard you talking."

I shoved my hands down the pockets of my sweatpants. Leave it to Funny Man to make me feel so awkward and excited at the same time. I looked around and found everyone had gone to bed. "What are you doing awake? Everyone's off to bed."

"Not everyone", the Mexican responded with a painful look in his eyes.

I took the shot to my heart and frowned hurt. "You're staying up with her? Why?"

"She's just… I… We… She's cool. I like her. I wanna get to know her better."

His words cut through me and I made no secret of it. A small shiver signaled I was cold and I wrapped my arms around myself to keep me warm. Funny Man got up and came closer but I took a few steps back. "No."

"You're cold, Danny. Go back to bed", the baritone voiced rapper said as he came closer to me. He put a hand on my arm and I lost my shit. I grit my teeth and kicked him. He lost his balance and fell on the ground. "Don't fucking touch me."

"Danny? What the hell are you…"

Jasmine walked in. "What is going on in here?!"

"Stay out of it!" I screamed at her and stomped like a child. I couldn't control what was happening right now and I hated it. I wanted to throw a tantrum. Let me.

Funny Man scurried to his feet and came up to me again but I wouldn't let him. Again I hurt him. My fist busted his nose and he hit the wall, clutching his bleeding nose.

"Stop!" Jasmine shouted in panic.

Funny Man just stared at me with his disappointed eyes. I couldn't stand that look. He gave that same look every time I had a freak out. This wasn't a freak out. I got on my knees and scurried closer to him. "Am I not lovable enough for you?! Did you ever love me at all? How can you forget us so soon!"

I jumped upright in anger, making my head spin. This was me, getting angry over my broken heart. With that thought I awoke from my fury and glanced at the scenery. Without realizing it, I awoke the others. Charlie and Da Kurlzz were gazing at me worriedly. J-Dog and Johnny had grabbed me from behind by my arms. How did I not feel their iron grip on me when I got up? Deuce was watching the whole thing with a disturbed look on his face. I couldn't handle this much. I just shuddered uncontrollably and dropped to my knees again. Jay and Johnny let go and exchanged glances.

"My nose is broken", Funny Man said with a nasal sound to his voice. I closed my eyes and hid my face in my hands. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

The Mexican got up, tried to stop the bleeding and kneeled in front of me. "You're so angry. Why? Where did that rage come from?"

How dare he ask such a stupid question? I almost head-butted him but I stopped myself from doing so. Instead I started crying again. Crying always made their anger shift into pity. It was pathetic but I couldn't stop my own cries anymore. The younger one wiped my tears off my cheeks. "Stop that, Danny."

I pushed him away. "No, you stop that! You stop living so I can fucking move on and forget you! I hate you!"

Then I ran away to my bunk, got in and turned my back towards the outer world, facing the wall. They'd come after me, ask me if I'm okay. They always did. I waited and waited but they didn't come. I screwed up big time this time. Write it down, everyone. Danny screwed up again on Day 41.

The sunlight awoke me from my slumber and reality crashed down onto me. Crap, I broke Funny's nose.

Crap, everyone hated me.

My dried tears felt horrible on my face and I wiped it off on my sleeve of the old big shirt. Johnny insisted we didn't sleep in our boxers with a girl aboard. I remained in bed, not wanting to face the others because of yesterday. The door to the bunks part opened and I didn't even look to see who walked in. I didn't want to know.

"Danny."

I shrugged in reply. A hand crept against my side, digging between my ribs. I squealed in surprise of the tickle and rolled over to face Johnny. He smirked at me. "I knew you were ticklish."

"What do you want?"

"Come have breakfast, Danny."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Everyone hates me."

"Don't be stupid", Johnny scoffed and rolled his eyes.

I shook my head violently. "They hate me for busting Funny's nose!"

"His nose isn't broken, just sore", Johnny said as if it would make everything better.

"I don't want to see anyone right now."

"Funny kicked Jasmine out."

"What?!"

"He's so sorry for hurting you. Come and see for yourself."

Reluctantly I got up and got dressed to have breakfast with the others. I walked in the room with Johnny when he leaned closer to me. "I lied about Jasmine. Sorry."

"It's OK", I sighed and elbowed him right in the nuts.

He gasped and cupped his intimate region. "Fuck off, Danny! Who does that to another man?"

"The one you lied to", I grumbled and got down next to the others. Funny Man glanced at me. His eyes showed no emotion. Was he mad at me? Da Kurlzz and Charlie seemed to behave with a lady in the bus. They only shared a short kiss when they parted ways. Da Kurlzz claimed the bathroom and Charlie claimed the bunks part to get changed. J-Dog ate in silence next to Deuce. The two whispered a thing to each other and smiled. Strange to see how they were bonding again. Johnny squeezed my shoulder. Jasmine was sitting in front of me. I glared at her and she cowered. "Why are you so hostile towards me? What did I do wrong?"

I lowered my gaze. Funny Man announced he had to take a piss and pulled open the bathroom door, only to hear Da Kurlzz complain loudly. Funny didn't care. I bit in a croissant when I decided to speak up. "You stole Funny's interest from me."

Jasmine bit her lip nervously. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

"Whatever."

J-Dog glared at me but I shrugged. "How did you feel when Deuce and I kissed?"

He looked away and Deuce chuckled. "Damn, we're such whores. I kissed Danny, I've got a thing with J-Dog and then there… never mind."

"Then what?" J-Dog asked.

Deuce shook his head. "I said never mind."

"What are you hiding?"

"Nothing!"

"Sure?"

"Let it go, Jay!" the ex-lead singer expressed agitated.

Funny Man came out of the bathroom and joined our conversation. He passed me with a feather light caress to my arm and smiled reassuringly. "Don't hate me."

"I don't", I said.

He hummed. "You told me differently last night."

"I was upset."

"I had my nose busted, so what?"

"You broke my heart."

"And you almost broke my nose."

"Almost, but I didn't", I glared.

The Mexican held his hands up innocently. "I'm not trying to fight you, Dannyboy."

"Sure", I venomously said.

"I love you too", Funny Man grinned, but he had crossed the line with that. He rubbed me the wrong way and I couldn't forgive him for that. I lunged at him, knocking almost everything off the table. Funny Man fell backwards onto the ground with me on top of him. I held a butter knife in the air. "Don't you ever fucking joke about loving me."

My hand held his chest down and I could feel the rapid pulse of his heartbeat beneath my palm. The fear in his eyes became too much. No one dared to grab me off of him. I dropped the knife and looked down at him, shielding my face from everyone else. Funny Man brought a hand up to my face. "Danny, it's OK. You're allowed to feel heartbroken."

"Then why don't you?" I whispered barely audible.

The other carefully took me off of him and pulled me onto my feet again. "Because I'm over it. I'm over you."

I shivered, suddenly cold again. "Don't say that."

"I'm sorry", Funny Man said before letting go and sitting down next to Jasmine again. He was hers now. They smiled at each other. It was obvious a lot had happened since I fled to my room last night. Especially when he leaned down and pecked her on the lips. That shattered what was left of my heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	39. Hate To Live

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Monster: the next scene could be triggering for sensitive readers

Danny's POV

I saw her smile. I saw him smile. I felt my heart crumble. Day by day, it got harder to hide how I felt. The guys noticed I was absent. They knew how I felt. At least, they thought they did. They didn't. No one knew how I felt. It's like… You get everything in the world you ever wanted, then someone rips it away from you without a warning. She stole my man. She ripped his feelings for me away. I was numb. From morning to evening I did simple things. I got up, had breakfast, showered, got dressed, ate lunch, sat on the couch, smiled at the others, had a beer with them, went to bed. The next day it started all over again. Even as I sat here on Day 50 next to Charlie and Johnny. I couldn't stand to see J-Dog anymore. He ruined me. I gazed at Charlie, he looked back and smiled. I couldn't bring myself to smile back. Not tonight. I just nodded. He didn't ask about the lack of my smile. By now they got used to it. It's been a while since they've heard my happy laughter. I was slowly sinking into a pit I couldn't return from. In fact, I've hit rock bottom tonight. Are you curious to find out what I did? Patience, I'll tell you in time.

By the time everyone was asleep in their bunks, I got up again. I jumped out of my bunk, ignoring the pain in my legs from the jump. Numbly I walked over to the kitchen part where I proceeded to take out a knife. Don't worry, I didn't kill her or him. No, they killed me. I was dead inside and needed something to make me feel alive. I sharpened the knife, felt at the tip. It made a tiny cut into my finger tip but it would be nothing. This wasn't one of my freak outs. I was completely conscious when I did it. I knew my every action as I scraped the sharp knife over the back of my hand. It sliced through like butter. Soft streams of blood flowed down my arm. Red is a beautiful color.

I swallowed and mustered all of the courage to turn my arm and turn my wrists upwards. If you want to kill yourself, go down the road, not across the bridge. I softly pricked the knife into a vein and dragged it downwards. With closed eyes I felt the sting and bit my lip. I'm sorry, guys, I just can't handle it anymore. The kidnapping, the on and off relationships, the nightmares and freak outs. I hate it. I hate my life. The world begun to spin and I felt dizzy. This was a great way to lose a lot of blood.

The light switch flipped on as my face hit the floor. I heard screaming, words, what were they saying? I couldn't catch it. The air felt like blankets and I dozed off.

You know those moments you wake up wide awake and don't know what woke you? That's what I experienced as I woke up in an unfamiliar, yet comfortable, bed. I looked around and found myself in a hospital room. What happened again? Oh, right. I tried to kill myself but they walked in on me. Crap. I sighed and studied the surroundings. A nice green room. Green is supposed to be a soothing color. Not true! This wasn't a normal hospital room. That's something I realized immediately. I pinched the bridge of my nose and stared at the bandage around my left wrist. That's going to be another scar for the fans to stare at. If the guys didn't kick me out, that is.

My head hit the pillow as a nurse walked in. "Good, you're awake! How are you feeling, Danny?"

"Alive", I mumbled.

"Good! Your friends have been visiting you ever since they brought you here", she smiled, as if that would make me smile back.

I nodded. "How long was I out?"

"Three days."

"Great. At least I've experienced Death for three days."

So it was day 53.

"You were alive, though", the nurse ruined it for me.

I blinked but didn't respond. "Did they come by already?"

"They're down in the cafeteria. I'll call them for you."

Shit, now I had to face the guys. I bet they'd yell at me. She walked away, a doctor came by to ask me a few questions and I answered them. As soon as the doc opened the door, the guys stumbled in. "Danny!"

I was attacked by Charlie. "How could you?!"

"Simple. It's just a knife", I answered darkly. No use in hiding the way I really felt, right?

I spotted Charlie, Da Kurlzz, Johnny, J-Dog, Deuce and Funny Man. Crap, the bitch was clinging to his side. I glowered at her. "What is she doing here?"

"Dude, you attempted suicide. Of course we are all here!" Funny Man reasoned.

I rolled my eyes. "I don't want her here. She started all of this."

Funny Man looked at Jasmine. "Wait outside, baby?"

"Fine", she replied, insecure whether or not she should stay. Good girl, go away!

"Danny…", Johnny begun. "Why did you… Why didn't you tell us?"

"Yeah, I mean. I already lost one to suicide. Don't let me lose you too", J-Dog added.

I scoffed. "Like you'd care. You're probably the main reason for this stupid attempt. Whoever found me, should've let me die."

"I found you", Deuce said. "That desperation in your eyes. You really want to die, didn't you?"

Offended, I threw my hands up. "Well of course I wanted to die! I still want to!"

"Why?"

I pointed at Funny Man. "Because you go flaunt your love for someone else in front of me."

My finger pointed towards J-Dog. "Because you set them up."

I moved to Deuce. "Because you did horrible things to me."

Moved to everyone. "You all never even noticed how I died on the inside. I was just a shell for these past few days."

They looked at each other. "How can we help you with it?"

"Kill me", I responded, looking them in the eye.

A moment of silence passed. Then Johnny knocked his fist into the wall. "I've had it up to here with your self-pity! Stop it! Stop fucking crying over everything! You're not dead inside! You just feel bad because Funny Man is over you! You're just mad because we're not your puppets!"

I looked at him. "I don't cry as much as I used to anymore."

"You know what I mean."

"Johnny. Imagine Asia would divorce you and go at it in your face. Would you remain calm?"

"No, but I wouldn't attempt suicide!"

"That's for a part because of Deuce. See, I've been hiding a few nightmares from all of you. Nightmares in which I get killed. They don't make me scream, don't make me cry. They're just a few images of my own death. I find them highly soothing so I thought I might chase them."

"Chase your dreams, how poetic", Johnny grumbled. "I'd kill you if it wasn't the reason of my anger."

I laughed. "Go ahead, Johnny. You get angry too easily. Just like how I cry too easily."

Johnny didn't respond. He just walked away, J-Dog followed. Funny Man went after them. I lowered my gaze. Da Kurlzz gulped and looked around. "So you won't stop the attempt?"

"Why would you care?"

"I'm not senseless. I'm not a robot. I get hit too when one of my friends tries to kill themselves", Da Kurlzz answered.

Charlie sighed. "This is such a stupid mess. I wish we'd go back to how it used to be."

"Same for me", I said, feeling nostalgic out of nowhere. "Can we go home yet?"

The doctor walked in as if he was called for. "I'm afraid we're keeping you here for a long time, Danny. You attempted suicide so we've got a few days of therapy for you in store."

I widened my eyes. "Guys, no! You can't do this!"

"You said so yourself, Danny. As soon as you get out, you'll try again", Charlie said with a sad smile. "We don't want to lose you."

I shook my head violently. "No no no! You can't force me to go to the nutward!"

"We're sorry, Danny", J-Dog said. The five of them said their goodbyes and walked outside. "So sorry."

The doors shut and I realized I was in the psych ward of the hospital. "How long do I have to stay?"

"Fifteen days if everything goes as planned."

Crap. With a capital C.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	40. Guess Who's Back

After dropping off Danny in the psych ward, they drove on to LA. It was only a couple of miles away. Funny Man sadly had to drop off Jasmine, but he had her number so he could still text her to make further plans. Now they could get off that stinking bus and go home. Things hadn't been easy for them. Danny and Deuce were friends now. At least that was something positive. First thing Deuce noticed when they parked the bus, were the people outside. He saw about twenty girls, probably all begging for HU's attention. He wondered how they knew about their arrival. "Who told them you guys were returning?"

Da Kurlzz looked up. "I tweeted our arrival with you."

"What?!" he yelled. The screamer shrugged. "They like how we forgave you and you forgave us. I thought it would be good since they all hated you for kidnapping Danny."

Deuce hid his head in his hands and walked outside. The bus doors opened and the girls screamed. He didn't notice the girls. He only noticed one other person. A male, standing there with his arms folded, foot tapping impatiently against the ground. He wore a dangerous snarl, sunglasses. His hair was short, but longer than Deuce remembered. He was standing there in his grey shirt and black baggy pants. "Deuce!"

He blinked at the sound of his voice and inched closer. "Oh hey, I can explain…"

"Shut up", the man snapped and lunged at him, hugging him tightly. He was taller than the lead singer. He rested his chin on top of his head and sighed. "Why'd you leave?"

"To get back at HU", he replied honestly, sniffing up his natural scent for the first time in two months. "I didn't mean to worry you, Gadjet."

He raised an eyebrow and leaned in for a kiss, but Deuce struggled out of his grip. "I'm sorry. I've changed."

Charlie watched the scenery and gazed at J-Dog. "Did you know about…?"

"About what?" J-Dog snarled. "There's nothing between those two!"

Gadjet cupped his chin. "But baby…"

"I love J-Dog and I always have. I told you I loved him", Deuce snapped, smacking the hand away.

Da Kurlzz came up behind the three who were watching the scene. "Who's the submissive one out of those two?"

Both Charlie and Johnny snorted the same time.

"Deuce."

"Gadjet."

They looked at each other. "Deuce is the one being held", Charlie said.

Johnny shook his head. "Because he's shorter, but Gadjet's the one begging for his attention."

"Guys!" Deuce called out with a red face. "Stop discussing my sex life!"

Gadjet chuckled. "Let them, Deuce. Even they see that what we have, is real."

"No! I don't want to be with you anymore. I'm sorry, Gadjet, but I don't!"

The rapper's smile melted. "Why not? Are you together with this J-Dog?"

"It's complicated…"

"Then why can't we continue the way we were?" Gadjet asked, frowning.

"Cause he doesn't have feelings for you", J-Dog grunted. "Who are you anyway?"

Deuce made Gadjet shut up before he could introduce himself. "Jay, this is Gadjet. He's in a few of my songs. And he's my…"

"Boyfriend", Gadjet filled in, showing a mean glistening in his eyes as he possessively put his arms around Deuce's shoulders from behind. "He's fucking mine, boy."

"Gadjet, cut it out", Deuce complained.

J-Dog grumbled something intelligible before speaking up. "Gadjet? You mean his fuckboy while his actual boyfriend didn't want him? Yeah we got back together so he doesn't need you anymore."

That's when Deuce got pissed. He got over to J-Dog and punched him in the nose. "Don't you ever fucking talk to him like that. He's a better boyfriend than you ever were!"

Gadjet laughed but shielded his mouth when Deuce glared at him. "And you! You childish fucking asshole! Why do you have to play this possessive game with Jay? I'm a different person. I'm not dating someone I don't love."

The rapper rolled his eyes. "Sure, whatever. Keep telling yourself that, Deuce. I'm telling you you're wrong."

That's all he said before he walked off. Deuce trembled. "Fucking Gadjet…"

"What was that all about?" Funny Man asked who just got out.

"None of your business", Deuce snapped, still shivering all over.

Charlie walked up to him and looked at his face. "Are you OK? You're shivering and it's really hot out here so you're not cold."

Deuce glared directly at him. "It's fucking Gadjet. He's the fucking problem!"

"Then stop hanging with him", Charlie offered, but the ex-lead singer shook his head. His eyes began to water. "He's too nice for me."

"Too nice for you?"

"I wish I loved him. He's the best, most caring and understanding bad ass I know", Deuce whispered to make sure J-Dog didn't hear. He just couldn't bear another huge fight with his kind-of-boyfriend-yet-not-labeling-it-like-that.

"Then why don't you love him?" Charlie asked.

Deuce shrugged. "I do, but I don't."

A silence fell over those words and Funny Man broke it by yawning. "Well, I'm not going to stand here like a moron because Deuce is having boyfriend trouble with one of his bitches."

The ex-lead singer almost lunged at the Mexican for saying that but refrained himself. "Gadjet is NOT my bitch. Yuma was my bitch, but Gadjet isn't!"

He shrugged in reply and walked away from that.

"Let us all go home now. We need to have some alone time before discussing our next steps. It's obvious things won't just return to normal anymore", Johnny hushed them all. "I mean, with Danny in the psych ward a few miles from here."

"Poor Danny", Funny Man mused.

J-Dog looked up. "So Deuce, are you…dating Gadjet?"

The ex-lead singer pointed his eyes at him. "Are you serious right now? Yeah, when I left LA, I was still together with him."

The rapper swallowed a lump in his throat and asked with trembling lips. "Did you think of him while you were with me?"

"God, Jay, don't be so selfish right now. Of course not. I mean, I thought of Gadjet and I wished I would've called him but I was uncertain if he and I had a future but then you and I were hitting it off again and now I really don't know what to do anymore", Deuce grunted. "Gadjet and I had a friends with benefits relationship but he fell for me and started going romantic and I tagged along because I liked him too but I didn't love him."

His maybe-boyfriend nodded in understanding. "But…that's over, right? You're dating me right now."

"Jay, let it go. I wanna sleep over it, OK?"

"Fine."

"What are we gonna do in the time Danny's in the hospital? He's got 15 days to stay", Charlie sighed. It was still Day 53.

The screaming fans all around them didn't make their conversation easier. Da Kurlzz suddenly realized they must be listening along so he sneaked an arm around Charlie and whispered his founding to him. Charlie looked up with a small smile. "It's nothing secret so it's fine."

Then he looked down at the arm around him. "Get your fucking hands off me in public, babe."

The drummer quickly let go but when Charlie relaxed, he quickly pecked his cheek. "YOLO!"

Charlie spun around to hit him but he jumped away. Johnny grabbed Charlie by his collar. "Stop it! Fucking Danny is suicidal and you two are playing around like little kids because you can't even stop cuddling for one damn minute!"

Well, there wasn't anything secret about it anymore now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	41. Live To Hate

Danny's pov

Day 5 in the nuthouse. This place made me want to kill myself even more. These past five days were horrible. They took me outside my room and took away some pill in my medicines. That pill was supposed to keep me happy, now I'm all grumpy, grumpier than before. I hadn't seen the guys these past few days and the doctor told me they weren't allowed to visit me anymore until I was ready to talk to them. I told him I was, but he said "No, you'll be ready in a few days."

Moron, I knew when I was ready. Outside my room the ground and ceiling were white and the walls were green. Again green was supposed to calm people down, but not for me. I hate green. It makes me sick to my stomach. The car park was green. I could walk around freely, but only when the sun shone. When the night came, I had to stay in my room. Not really in my room, but I just wasn't allowed to walk through the girl's corridor which was left and right from me and the restroom was in front of my room. So no, I wasn't locked up. I could walk around…to the restroom. Every same time of the day, I get group therapy. We're split in small groups of five people where we learn some sort of lesson or get to do exercises by pairing up. What a joke when we're with only five people. Now here comes the interesting part!

It was day three and my first session should begin. I walked up to the group of four on these white, plastic chairs and waved awkwardly. They gawked at me like I was their new plaything. There was one white seat unused and I sat down on it. My therapist was sitting right in front of me and leaned over. "Daniel, would you like to introduce yourself?"

"It's Danny", I corrected, "and… I'm stuck here for a two weeks."

I wasn't going to tell them I tried to kill myself. I'd never be outspoken about something that horrible. The guy seemed satisfied with my introduction. He was old, had grey hairs and everything. I'm gonna call him Grey. Now I'm thinking about Fifty Shades of Grey, ugh. I shook the thought out of my head and listened to what he had to say. "Everyone, please introduce yourselves to Danny."

Some girl on my left stared at me. "I'm your biggest fan."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I'm here because of you! I talk to you on my wall all the time!"

I raised an eyebrow and smiled friendly. "OK."

She didn't tell me her name, but I didn't really want to know either. The guy next to her gazed at me. "I'm Kevin. I'm schizophrenic. No, I'm not! Yes, you are!"

What. The. Fuck. I didn't belong there!

The girl next to him didn't speak. She just looked down at her feet and didn't say a word. So the guy next to her begun speaking. "I'm Jeff, but everyone calls me Shady Jeff."

That rang a bell. "You're Shady Jeff from Hollywood Undead?"

He smirked sadly and stared out in front of him. "Yeah, I remember those times. Those great times before I set myself on fire."

"What?!" I yelled surprised.

Jeff chuckled. "It was an accident! My engine exploded and I got set on fire. Now I'm here."

Grey didn't say anything, but from his facial expression I read one thing: it wasn't an accident. This wasn't anything I had expected. All of these guys were nuts, but I wasn't like them. I wasn't crazy. I was actually sane. Grey made us do some talking about ourselves. For me it was basic. Do you have siblings? Tell us about your best friend. Such things. You know what I told them?

"I don't have siblings. My best friend? I have six best friends."

In my head it escalated. I had five best friends. Deuce got added so I had six. Then J-Dog became jealous and I lost him as my best friend so I had five again. Then Funny Man begun dating that filth and I lost him too. Now I have four left. Johnny and I were currently fighting big time since he had walked out of my hospital room so I only have three friends anymore. Da Kurlzz, Charlie and Deuce. I didn't tell them that. I told them I was fine. I had six best friends. Three left, I can do this.

Afterwards he let us go. Jeff walked up to me. "Hey."

"Don't talk to me. I'm not here to make friends, but to get out soon", I snapped.

Jeff chuckled. "Yeah, nice one. What are you here for?"

"Nothing."

"I see a bandage around the wrist so I'm guessing a suicide attempt."

"What do you care?"

"I rate it."

"What?"

"There's a psych ward score?" Jeff said as if I was some stupid kid in elementary school.

When he saw my confused gaze he continued. "Suicide gets a ten."

"Why is that so special?" I snorted.

Jeff scoffed. "Are you kidding me? The lower ones ruined their lives, but the suicides…", he whistled, "They want to END their lives. That's worse than ruining it. You just destroy it by killing yourself."

I thought about it for a second before I replied. "But I hate to live."

"And the others live to hate their lives. Suicides turn it all around. Those are the worst in the world", Jeff sighed.

I frowned and glared at him. "So I'm the worst? You set yourself on fire so you're a suicide guy too."

Jeff laughed as if he heard the best joke in the world. "No, I have a personality disorder. I'm like the prince of the hospital, but you are the king. The girl you met with the obsession? She's an addict. Kevin is a personality disorder. The girl that doesn't speak is the traumatized one."

I rolled my eyes. "I don't feel like a king."

Both of us sat down in some comfortable armchairs in the lounge. Jeff still had a wicked smile on his face as he looked at me. Sometimes his gaze shifted to my bandaged wrist, which made me feel highly uncomfortable. I moved a little and he looked away. "Anyway, how are the guys from Hollywood Undead doing?"

"Fine, I guess. J-Dog and Deuce broke up again. Johnny is going insane because of us. Charlie and Da Kurlzz are smoochy as ever and Funny Man's dating some bitch I can't stand", I ranted.

Jeff blinked a few times. "Wait… J-Dog, Deuce, Charlie and Da Kurlzz are gay? When I was still in the band, they were straight!"

"Yeah, well, Funny Man's bi", I grumbled.

"Well fuck. You don't seem to happy with them", he noticed.

I shrugged. "J-Dog and I are fighting. Funny Man and I are fighting, Johnny and I are fighting. I think they pretty much hate me by now. Sometimes I wish it would all end."

Jeff nodded. "Yeah, you should set them on fire."

"Uh?!"

"I'm kidding", Jeff added, annoyed with me because I took it seriously. I still wasn't convinced. He sounded way too serious for it to be a joke. But as I said. Now it was day five. Day five of my stay here. Things were getting better. Jeff and I were…dysfunctional friends. We were friends, but as soon as we get out, I knew we wouldn't be talking to each other anymore. He still joked about the other guys, suggesting I should take revenge for how they treated me sometimes, but I shrugged it off. They didn't do anything wrong. My feelings were the problem. My feelings towards Funny Man to be precise. He made sure I knew he was over me. In all this time I've learnt one thing about myself: I am one jealous motherfucker.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	42. Come Clean

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Monster: the never-ending story updated, enjoy!

After Johnny's public outburst, pretty much everyone heard about their situation. Charlie and Da Kurlzz were a couple and Danny was suicidal. The whole crowd was suddenly silent. Deuce raised an eyebrow. "Would you look at that. You got the crowd silent."

"Is it because of Deuce?!" A girl shouted.

The ex-lead singer folded his arms. "Excuse me? Danny is my friend now. Besides, the kidnapping ended 39 days ago."

"You destroyed our Danny!" someone else screamed.

Deuce rolled his eyes. "It's not my fault. Danny attempted suicide because Funny's got a girlfriend now."

"Deuce!" Funny Man called out. "Don't flaunt our private life around!"

"Funny Man is a cheater!" a guy yelled.

"Am not! We broke up a long time ago!"

Johnny smacked his head. "Let's go home for now. Danny's gonna be in the hospital for fifteen days."

"What could possibly happen in fifteen days?" J-Dog scoffed.

A lot.

Only five days later hell had broken loose. Wonder what happened to Danny in those five days? Kidding, we already discussed that part. Let's start with the end of day 53. Upon their arrival at home, nothing seemed to be the same anymore. Funny Man realized he had something going on with a girl when he left to tour but he broke it off because he liked Jasmine now. Da Kurlzz and Charlie consecrated their bed at home immediately. Johnny spun his daughter around and kissed his beautiful wife on her forehead. He could finally be a real father again. J-Dog wanted to come along with Deuce to his house but the ex-lead singer didn't want him to. "I live in an apartment with Gadjet and Yuma. Do you really want to come over and get in a fight with Gadjet?"

"Well, no, but what does it matter what he thinks? You rejected him, didn't you?"

Deuce shook his head. "I waved him off for a moment but you do know I still have to deal with this, right?"

"Why? You don't like him. You told him you loved me."

"Of course I did. I can't get him to go away by being nice."

"So you lied?" J-Dog asked, a hurt expression on his face.

Deuce shrugged. "I don't know. I told you. I don't know who I like at this moment. Gadjet was perfect and I know we were years ago but now it just seems different. It's like our relationship is one big warning to behave."

J-Dog nodded. "I guess I'll let you figure it out on your own then. See you."

Deuce dropped his gaze. "Yeah, I'll see you around."

Crack. It might've made that sound when he said those words. When someone says 'I'll see you around', it's code language for 'not really'. J-Dog's heart cracked. He turned around without a sound and walked home to lock himself up in his house.

What about Danny's home? At Danny's house Theresa was waiting with Scarlett on her arm so their daughter could finally see her scarred father again. They waited until he'd come home. But he didn't.

When an hour passed, she called Johnny.

"George speaking."

"Where's Danny at?"

"What? Who is it?"

"Theresa. Danny didn't come home. I'm waiting at his front door with Scarlett. She's dying to see him again."

Johnny didn't respond for a second. "Have you been following recent updates about us?"

"No, you know I was always informed through Danny."

"Oh dear, you better come over", Johnny murmured. "Come over and I'll tell you what's going on with Danny."

She agreed and immediately met up with the blue masked rapper and his wife. Asia made a cup of thee for her while Johnny sat her down on the couch. "Danny was kidnapped."

"What?! By who?"

"Deuce. He kidnapped Danny a month and a half ago", Johnny begun his story. "But don't worry. We got him back after two weeks."

"Then where is he now?"

"When we freed Danny, he was in a horrible state. Nightmares, scarring, freak outs, panic attacks. No pills or therapy helped. Only Funny Man helped him through it and the two became so close they fell in love."

"Danny's not gay."

"He's bi", Johnny said.

"Oh."

"They broke up a while ago but Danny loves him. When Funny Man found himself a girlfriend, he was over our lead singer. Danny couldn't live with it so we found him three days ago on the floor. He cut open his wrist."

"He'd dead?" she called out.

"No, he's in the hospital for attempted suicide", Johnny sighed. Asia now sat down next to Theresa. "Why didn't you tell me about the suicide attempt?"

"We only just got back from the hospital."

"What state is he in mentally right now?" the two women asked.

Johnny averted his gaze. "I got angry with him because he was saying so much dark shit and talking about how he was going to try again when he got out. He's just such a pussy nowadays. I wish he'd get through this alive but he's so persistent on dying."

"He's in a hospital now. They'll be able to cure him."

"You can't cure suicidal with doctors. You cure it with friends", Johnny whispered. "We get to see him when the doctor thinks he's ready and I'm going to apologize for getting mad at him."

Scarlett ran up to her mom after playing around outside. "Can I see daddy now?"

"Not yet, dear. He's not home yet", Theresa cooed.

Johnny bit his lip. "I hope we'll get to see him soon. I don't know what I'd do if he succeeded his attempt when he got out."

"He won't try again", Theresa hushed him. "Danny is a lot of threats but inside he's still all soft. He just wants Funny Man's attention if I interpret your story correctly."

"Yeah, he just wants Funny's attention", Johnny murmured. "That's it. Funny just has to play his big best friend again. He was fine with the break up but he just can't handle how Funny's attention is now completely focused on Jasmine."

"Why Funny Man out of all guys?" Theresa rolled her eyes. "I always paired him up with Charlie."

"I paired him up with Johnny sometimes", Asia admitted but when Johnny widened his eyes at her, she quickly added: "Because you care for him like a big brother."

"Looks like this tour wasn't such a success", Theresa sighed. "Did you get to play concerts?"

"Just one and we didn't really succeed because Danny can't sing."

"Danny sings perfect!" Asia complained.

"No, he got nervous when people stared at his scars so he'd sing falsely whenever he'd start. He ran off stage and Charlie had to sing his parts", Johnny explained. "His voice is better now though. The scars were fading but now he's got this deep scar on his wrist. I just hope his singing won't falter again."

"We'll see. For now he's in good hands. How long does he have to stay?"

"Fifteen days."

"Let's hope he'll be fine when he gets out."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel! I hope you guys realized Danny and Theresa are divorced


	43. Damn It, Charlie And Da Kurlzz!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Monster: Crap, I'm running out of chapters to post. I'm working on Chapter 48 though

Funny Man jumped over the couch and flopped down in it. "You know what I don't get?"

"What?"

"Danny almost died and the others are still being dramatic about their own problems", the Mexican scoffed.

Jasmine nested herself against him. "Maybe because they're trying to find a way to cope with it?"

"Maybe", he murmured.

She offered him a smile. "So Danny is your ex-boyfriend?"

"Yeah, pretty crazy", he smirked at the thought. So much had happened. He remembered how the lead singer had kissed Deuce. How he had ran and how the lead singer had come looking for him. How they were reunited. They broke up twice and always found their way back to each other except for this time. And the result was clear. He felt a lump in his throat. What happened? Why didn't he just accept Danny in his arms and stay like that for the rest of eternity?

Funny Man got up and Jasmine roughly fell out of his lap. "What are you doing?"

"I'm sorry. I wanna be alone right now."

He walked away, into the streets and got in his car. He drove a few miles back to the hospital they left Danny in. He stormed inside, asking about Danny.

"And who are you?"

"I'm his friend."

"And Danny was submitted…?"

"Yesterday", Funny Man said.

She raised an eyebrow. "You can't see him yet."

"Why not?!"

"Because he's still in isolation."

"Isolation?"

"He can't see anyone outside the hospital yet", she said.

"When can I see him then?"

"When the doctor sees fit."

The Mexican knocked his fist into the desk. "Fuck! You don't get it! I have to make sure he's ok!"

"He's fine. We'd contact the number given to us if he wasn't."

Funny Man nodded and walked outside. He got up to his car and turned his front to the hospital. Through one of the small windows he saw Danny pass and he smiled sadly. If only the lead singer could see him. He didn't.

He got back in his car and drove home.

_Funny Man: I've had it, man_

He sat down on the couch, turned on the television but nothing on there seemed interesting enough. He took out his phone again and opened the pictures. J-Dog had sent him the picture he took on top of the statue. He grinned at the memory. The picture was taken before they went to the drugstore for Danny's pills after they just got him back. He swiped to the next picture, his face dropping. It was a picture of himself, asleep with a text written on it: _So cute!_

He frowned and swiped to the next one, this one being a video. He clicked on play and watched as it begun as a blurry screen. Next thing he knew, he was staring at Danny's radiant face. He had the brightest smile on his lips. "Hi, Funny! You're asleep. Or passed out. I don't care. I wanted to draw a dick on your face but you're just too cute so I stole your phone instead. When I was kidnapped, I looked through some old videos where you guys stole my phone. They made me happy so I wanted to do the same for you. If you're ever feeling down and I'm not there to help you. Look at this video and know that I'll always love you."

Funny Man pressed pause because he couldn't handle watching the video anymore. He took a deep breath and clicked it away. It was too much.

_Charlie: Had it with what?_

_Funny Man: I was with Jasmine but I kept thinking about Danny. I can't live with what I've done to him._

He leaned back and swiped to the next picture. It was the two of them on the couch. Danny was pointing at something on the computer and Funny Man had his arm around his waist, looking at the screen skeptically. He wondered who took the picture and when it was taken. He sighed and threw his head back. Everything was so confusing with Danny in the hospital.

_Charlie: It's not all your fault. He had been dragging a lot of weight on his shoulders for some time. Besides, you've got your own life and you moved on?_

_Funny Man: I don't know_

It was the truth. He didn't know if he had moved on. He thought he had until Danny attempted to kill himself. He told himself he was over him but the moment they left him at the hospital, he felt like he had left a piece of himself there. He couldn't let it get to him. If it got to him, he'd give in to Danny again and then they'd break up again.

_Charlie: Don't be so ridiculous, Funny. You still love him. What's holding you back?_

_Funny Man: My sanity_

The next thing he knew, he was being called by Charlie. He picked up the phone and was attacked by two voices.

"What do you mean 'your sanity'!?"

"Da Kurlzz is with you?"

"Of course he is", Charlie said. "You should tell Danny how you feel, man. You broke his heart."

"I don't love him anymore!"

"Like hell you do!"

Funny Man sighed deeply. "No! I've got something with Jasmine now."

"Dude, you miss him like crazy."

"Yeah! You got a bond, remember?"

"I broke the bond!" the Mexican shouted.

A silence on the other end of the line.

"Dude, you don't break being soulmates with words."

Funny Man hung up and folded his arms. This was so unfair.

Charlie stared at his phone in surprise. "He hung up on us."

"He's in denial. It's only day two and he's already doubting his feelings. When Danny gets out of there, Funny's gonna jump him", Da Kurlzz grinned.

The bandana rapper clapped his hands together. "Then they're finally going to fuck!"

"Finally! Come on, it's been almost two months since they fell in love!"

"Yeah, we fucked as a first date", Charlie chuckled and the drummer wrapped his arms around him. "I only hope Danny won't try again."

"He won't. Not when Funny Man realizes he still loves him."

"But what if we're wrong?"

"We won't be wrong. Funny and Danny are inseparable. It's like trying to force you and my cock apart."

Da Kurlzz glared at him. "Fuck you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel!


	44. Praise The Lord

Let's be honest. Day 58 was the most exciting day for the guys outside of the hospital. It was the day of Danny's fifth day of his stay in the hospital. At some point Funny Man had appeared in front of Charlie's front door.

Charlie noticed when he walked home, coming from the bakery. He had just bought his breakfast for Da Kurlzz and him. He arrived with the bag tucked beneath his arm, key in his hand and stared at the disheveled man sitting on the doorstep.

"Funny?"

The Mexican stared up at him.

"What are you doing?"

"I haven't texted Jasmine in three days."

"So?"

"I don't like her."

Charlie raised an eyebrow. He took a deep breath and offered him a free hand to pull himself up. Funny Man took the offer and kept his gaze pointed towards the ground.

"You wanna come in?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Just because", Funny Man murmured. "I just don't want to come in."

Charlie shook his head. "Then we'll talk here. What's gotten into you?"

"Why can't we see Danny yet?"

"Because the doctor thinks it's too soon. He's still not cooperating."

"How do you know?" the Mexican snarled.

The bandana rapper put down his bag by the front door and rang the bell. "Because the doctor called me."

"He called you?!" Funny Man asked, holding both shoulders in a tight grip. "Why didn't you tell me that?!"

The drummer opened the front door. "Funny Man?"

Charlie shoved the bag of breakfast in his arms. "Put it on the table. I'll be there in a few minutes. Funny needs me first."

"So much for a romantic breakfast idea", Da Kurlzz murmured before he took the bag inside and left the two alone.

"The doctor called me yesterday. Danny's been socializing with a fellow patient but he's still refusing to believe he belongs there for treatment. If it goes on like this, he's gonna have to stay longer", Charlie explained, prying Funny's hands off of his shoulders. The Mexican trembled. "He can't."

"What?"

"Do this to us!"

"What are you talking about?"

Funny Man shook his head furiously to erase the negative thoughts out of his head. "How could he try and kill himself?! That's crazy! Why?! Because of me! He screamed for my attention but I didn't see it!"

"Easy!" Charlie hissed. He took his key and opened the front door. He pushed Funny Man into the hallway. "We're talking inside."

"Fine."

He led him to the living room. Da Kurlzz was sitting on the couch with a croissant in his mouth. He looked up, rolling his eyes when Funny Man trailed after his beloved. He said something muffled by the croissant.

"What?" Charlie asked.

The drummer took it out of his mouth. "I said: why did you bring him in?"

"Because he needs us", Charlie scowled.

Matt shrugged. "Fine."

"He's blaming himself for Danny again", the bandana rapper explained and the screamer was all ears. "What? No! Sure, he did it because he loves you but that was his decision. He's the one who couldn't handle it."

"I don't want to talk about his attempt", Funny Man said, eyes closed tightly.

"Then why did you come to us?"

He shrugged. "I haven't slept because he keeps me awake. I can feel him. He's in pain. He wants the pain to end."

"So the severed connection is back up and running?" Matt asked, taking another bite out of his food. "Means you love him."

"It does", Charlie endorsed.

The Mexican shrugged. "I guess I still have some minor sparks left inside of me. I just miss him so much. I wanna see that cute face again, have him smile at me. Why did I ever let go of such a blessing?"

"Because you thought fate didn't want you two to be together", Matt said, earning a smack to the head from Charlie. "We're listening, Mattie, not judging."

The drummer pouted and wrapped his arms around Charlie from behind as the rapper was turned to face Funny Man on the couch. "I'm sorry, baby."

"How do you guys make it work?"

Charlie glanced back at Matt. "Good question."

"We communicate a lot."

Funny Man stared at them blankly. "What?"

"I'm always honest with Mattie. I won't say there's nothing wrong when I'm feeling horrible."

"I'll always comfort him. Never minimalize someone's problems."

Charlie sunk backwards into his arms. "We're like your Love Help Desk."

"Yeah, sure", Funny Man murmured. "I'm telling Danny I still love him."

"Perfect!"

"But when will we get to see him?"

"I don't know", Charlie sighed. "I'm glad you finally know you still want Danny."

Funny Man nodded. "I do. Have you heard from Johnny, J-Dog or Deuce?"

Matt waved for their attention but he had his mouth stuffed with food. He held his hand up while chewing, swallowed and spoke up. "Johnny saw Theresa when we got home. He told her what happened. As always, she was insensitive about Danny. Just because you hate someone, doesn't mean you have to act like it doesn't hit you when he tries to die."

"That's cold", Charlie agreed. "I heard J-Dog was upset because Deuce didn't want him to come over. Deuce is living together with Gadjet and Yuma. I wonder what's gonna happen for them next."

"I sure hope it won't hit Jay too hard", Funny Man whispered.

"Jay hasn't been answering his phone the last few days", Charlie sighed as he looked at his screen. "I think something bad has already happened."

"What could happen to Jay?"

"Deuce could stay with Gadjet."

"Jay is better off without Deuce. The guy's nothing but trouble for him", Matt groaned.

Funny Man glanced at him. "That's not fair. Have you tried getting over Charlie?"

The bandana rapper shot upright and turned to Matt. "Don't you dare get over me cause I'm not getting over you."

"Cute", Da Kurlzz said, kissing his temples.

Funny Man gestured towards them. "I want THIS with Danny."

"Then hug him, you dick! Even I can see Danny has always wanted you to hold him again."

The Mexican folded his arms angrily. "It's not that easy, you know!"

"It is", Charlie murmured. "He literally tried to kill himself for your love."

"Ok, fine. It is easy but I…"

"What?"

"I'm afraid of commitment", Funny Man admitted.

The two applauded. "Praise the lord, he has finally admitted it!"

Definitely the most exciting happening since Danny was admitted to the hospital. Man, life had become boring outside the bus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	45. Build Me A Castle of Glass

"Are you ready?" Charlie asked.

Funny Man inhaled deeply. He shook all over. His nerves were going insane. "I'm ready."

Johnny swung an arm around his shoulders. "You'll be fine."

"Are you sure you want to tell him this now?" J-Dog asked. "He'll be locked up for another 9 days."

"It's the fifth day of his capture. I'm ready to tell him I still love him", Funny Man said. Da Kurlzz clapped his hands together. "Great. Finally some good news."

The fifth day. Remember what I said about the fifth day? All hell broke loose? Did you think it was supposed to be a negative thing? Who knows.

"We're meeting Danny today", Charlie finally said aloud. "We're finally seeing him."

"Only two of us are allowed inside", J-Dog mused. "Who's going with Funny?"

Johnny sighed. "I'd like to go if that's alright. I kinda ran out on him last time. I have something to make up to him before you go full blown love struck on him."

The Mexican smiled as they departed. They set course to the mental hospital by car. It felt strange to be in a car rather than the bus. They arrived not much later. A doctor was awaiting their arrival as they had made this appointment just the day before. Danny needed to see someone from the outside because he refused to acknowledge the necessity of his treatment. The doctor thought that maybe if he saw someone of his old life again, they could convince him to cooperate.

"I brought him to my office. He doesn't know of this appointment so his surprise is genuine", the doctor assured Funny Man and Johnny while they left behind their three friends. Charlie offered them a thumbs up before they rounded a corner.

The door to the office opened but it felt like a portal to a different world. Danny was revealed, back turned to the door and staring at a book shelf. He looked up at the sound of the door and turned around. His eyes widened when he spotted his friends. "Johnny!"

The oldest stepped up first and smiled at him, then Funny Man entered but all he got, was a frown in response to his appearance. "What? No happy shout for me?"

"No", Danny murmured. "What are you doing here?"

"Checking up on you", Johnny hushed the singer. He offered him a hand. "Please?"

Danny looked at the hand and hesitantly took it. The blue masked rapper gently pulled him towards the couch. The doctor closed the door and left them alone but the cameras were there to secure their safety. As if Danny would attack them.

"How are you?"

"Dandy", Danny replied sarcastically. "How do you think I'm doing? I'm locked away in a nuthouse."

"Stupid question, got it. I meant to ask if you were still upset with us", Johnny tried again.

Danny frowned. "I'm not angry. I was never angry. I'm just frustrated with all of it. I think I just can't handle so much pain at once. Stupid Deuce is still giving me nightmares. I freak out every now and then. Funny made me suicidal. It's just too much shit."

The singer turned his head to the Mexican for the first time since they had arrived. "How's your bitch?"

"I dumped Jasmine", Funny Man said, voice hoarse.

His eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Why?"

"I realized my heart was still beating for someone else."

The singer's eyes glazed over. "Me?"

"Yeah."

"You still love me?"

Funny Man cracked a smile. "I love you with all I have."

He took a deep breath but managed to keep his back straight. He couldn't retreat. He had to throw himself out there and have Danny come back to him. He needed to see the singer smile again. His heart ached for the smiling face of his beloved. His laughter telling him they should've never parted. Danny remained immobile.

"Well?"

Danny clenched his jaw. "Is this a joke?"

"No, why would you think it is?"

The singer gave him the most murderous glare. "Because you couldn't have said that earlier? Did you have to wait for me to become suicidal before you could tell me this? What? Is this one of your sick and twisted love games? Let's watch Danny break down before I tell him I wanted him back? Repeat the cycle?!"

"No!" Funny Man choked out. The singer shot up. "Leave."

"No, Danny! It's not like that!"

"GO AWAY!" Danny screamed, walked back to the door. He tried the doorknob but it was locked. "Let me out. Let me out. Let me out!"

"Danny, please", Johnny called out but the singer knocked the door more frantically.

The Mexican furrowed his eyebrows, got up and walked up to him.

"Stay away from me!"

Funny Man wrapped both arms around the singer and squeezed him tightly. "Stop it. Stop scaring us like this. You can't just react like this."

"You're not the Danny we know", Johnny murmured.

"You killed the Danny you know", The singer spat. His body trembled and his knees became weak. "You killed me. I am dead inside."

"You're not. I know you still have the will to fight somewhere inside of you. I'm sorry it took me so long to realize I still loved you but sometimes you don't know what you want in your life until it's missing", Funny Man begged, his grip tight around the singer.

Danny shook violently. "I don't want to love you. You're bad for me. Your love hurts."

"He's serious, Danny. Funny lost all interest in life ever since you were admitted here", Johnny decided to throw into the conversation.

The singer hid his face in the crook of his neck. He didn't say anything.

"Danny? Please. I love you", Funny Man tried but the only reaction he received was the rapid breathing against him.

"Danny?"

"Shut up", he choked out in a broken voice. "Just shut the fuck up."

"But…"

"Say one more word and I'm gone forever. Just shut the fuck up and hold me. Can you do that?"

Funny Man didn't reply, too afraid his words would make him disappear. Instead he nodded. The motion confirmed enough. Danny dropped down and took the Mexican with them. They sat on the floor like that. The singer nested himself in his arms, his body still shaking. "What made you realize you missed me?"

"Your stupid little selfies on my phone. I realized I missed having you smile because of us. I took away your happy spark by destroying our relationship and a part of me died when I did", Funny Man admitted.

"I miss you so much", Danny whispered. He kissed his cheek but that was about as far as they went. Funny Man was too afraid he'd ruin anything by kissing him. Instead he chose to hug his beloved Danny.

Johnny sat down next to them. "Sorry to disturb but I wanna hug Danny too. No homo."

The singer chuckled and for the first time in a long while; it was a happy sound.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	46. Fix Me, I'm Ready Now

Danny's POV

I wasn't sure if it was reality or just a dream. Frankly, I thought I still had some fixing to do. It was like I couldn't grasp the concept of Funny Man still loving me. After all we had been through, he still mourned for the loss of our relationship. I spent nights crying for him, screaming in fear and missing his comfort. I tried to kill myself for his love and now he was here. He was finally with me. I was left in his arms. His fingers entangled with mine. He was so respectful. He didn't dare to kiss me because he respected the fact that I had a lot of things to sort out. To say in the least, I was damaged. I was one hell of a damaged individual. Not only because I got kidnapped, raped and forgave my offender but also because I was addicted. I was addicted to love.

I realized that now.

When I couldn't have Funny, I tried Deuce with a kiss. What was wrong with me? Well, the fact that I needed love now that I had tasted it. I needed love like I needed air but more precisely; I needed Funny Man to be my love.

I didn't want it, but I needed it.

When he finally let go of me, he held both of my hands in his own, Johnny rubbed my back reassuringly. I felt…taken care of. He promised me we'd make it work somehow through communication but only if I'd behave and gather some willpower to get through this treatment. After my sudden outburst with him, I realized I did need help. I was hurt. I was damaged. Fix me.

When they left, I felt renewed. I also shared my experience with Shady but he didn't seem to like it as much as I did.

"It's amazing, Shady. He loves me. I feel… better. I'm still a whole lot of hurt but I feel relieved."

His face remained serious, lips in a thin line. "After all they did to you?"

"Yes! Why aren't you as enthusiastic as I am?"

"Because the Danny I met tried to kill himself because of those guys."

I raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't you be happy that I'm improving? I mean. I don't want to kill myself because then I wouldn't get to retry with Funny."

"And if Funny would reject you again?"

"I don't know", I murmured. "But that's why I'm here! I need to heal. I'm fucked up so I need to be fixed."

"You believe that crap?"

"I do."

"I still think you should set them on fire."

"I'm starting to believe you really hate them."

"On your behalf", Shady murmured. "I hate the pain they caused you. And I hate Deuce. He once disturbed my family party."

"I heard about that", I mused, "You pulled a gun on him."

"Everyone pulled guns on everyone back in those days but you wouldn't know. You didn't grow up in the hard streets of Los Angeles", Shady shot.

I couldn't believe how many people said that to me. Why did they keep thinking my life had been perfect up until then?

"I didn't grow up in the poor neighbourhood, no. I did watch my parents' divorce and I did blame myself for them growing apart. My dad fucking moved to Costa Rica to get away from my mom."

"Oh poor you, you've got daddy issues. So what?"

"I don't like your attitude towards me", I murmured. "I thought you'd understand I finally found the will to fight again."

"You didn't. You're relying on someone else to fix you. That's the same as being broken, just more invisible."

"How can you judge me like that?"

"You said it yourself. You need to stay here and heal so you'll be able to survive without him. I don't think it would be safe for you to throw yourself at him when you get out."

I obviously grew more and more agitated as my friend couldn't even be happy for me that my ex-boyfriend still loved me. Somehow I didn't want to hear anything he said anymore at that moment so with a final "fine, then don't understand", I turned over and walked away. I thought I heard him whisper: "Just let them burn." But I wasn't sure. Those were the events of my fifth day in the psych ward.

I didn't see Shady the next few days. In group sessions they didn't even talk about him. It was like he had simply vanished.

On the eighth day I heard from Kevin – the schizophrenic – Shady was released that day into the outer world. They found him to be healthy enough to live on his own for now, but of course while closely observed. I couldn't believe he hadn't told me about it.

I mean, sure, we weren't actual friends but in these last few days, we had bonded quite well. We had shared our thoughts on certain members. Both of us agreed Deuce really loved to hear himself talk. We also agreed Johnny acted like the big boss while everyone knew Charlie would always get the last vote.

It felt strange how him and I parted in such a brutal way. The last things I said to him, were angry words.

When I heard it, I let out a surprised "huh." But that was the end of it. The next day it was like he hadn't left at all as someone else joined us this time. I didn't feel the need to talk to him and he didn't seem to feel the urge to talk to me either. Instead, it was back to the normal group therapy stuff.

After the session, Grey asked me to follow him to his office. I knew his office; it was the place I had met Funny and Johnny on the fifth day. That was three days ago.

He asked me to sit down and spoke to me in his calm voice. "I heard that you were confused as to why Jeff disappeared. Were you close to him?"

"No, not really. I mean, he was the closest thing I had to a friend here, but we weren't close. He just used to be in Hollywood Undead before I was so we know the same people."

Grey cocked his head. "How have you been doing since he left?"

"The same as always. I try to get the treatment to work and make me survive. Whether I'll get out and have everyone have my back or get out and have no one. I want to be able to survive on my own. It's not healthy to rely on others to keep you alive."

I thought I spotted the slightest twitch at the corner of his mouth, but then I didn't see it anymore.

"Am I…going to have to stay longer than those fifteen days initially given to me?"

"I thought you were but having heard you now, I don't think so."

That confused me. Was the border of suicidal and the will to fight that thin?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	47. The Story of J-Dog

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Monster: This was my last written chapter. From now on the chapters will be very recent. I've written one paragraph of Chapter 48: The Story of Deuce and that's it. Yet I've finished chapter 50, 51 and 52. I know, it's fucking weird.

Oh no, no. I know what you're thinking. Am I allowed to guess? No? Going to anyway. Whatever happened to J-Dog? He hasn't made an appearance except for the mentioning that he wasn't replying to any of the texts they sent him. Are you thinking of doom scenarios yet? No wait, I got it. I got it. He walked in on Gadjet, Deuce and Yuma having a threesome, didn't he?

No, he didn't. But you're right. Jay has been neglected for a few chapters ever since he parted ways with Deuce. So this is it. The story of Jay. At least, the first part of his story. Confusing isn't it? We've got the story of Danny, the story of the guys and the story of Jay. All at the same time! Well this story, begins the third day of Danny's admission to the psych ward.

Confusing again, right? We went from day one to day three to day one to day two to day four to day five to day eight to go back to day three again? Yeah, if I were you, I'd kick that writer. Even better, break his nose.

In all seriousness, the story of Jay starts at day three but it's not finished there. Not at all. Can you believe it took him three days to snap?

That very first day when Deuce blew him off to go to his apartment and hang out with Gadjet and Yuma should've been the final blow for him. Yet it wasn't! He'd give the former singer space and time until he'd text him he had made up his mind. Even if he texted him just to tell him he chose Gadjet.

Jay would be fine with it because at least he would've had the guts to tell him. That was the problem. He didn't. He needed to sleep over it. He slept one night. Two even. That's when Jay snapped, late in the evening, and texted him:

_You wanna hang out?_

And then came the waiting game. Jay rolled over in his bed, trying to watch the new episode of Game of Thrones but his mind kept wandering to dark places. What if Deuce wasn't replying because he was having sex with Gadjet? Even worse, what if he was better at it than Jay?!

J-Dog covered his head with the thick pillow and screamed in it. FUCK LOVE.

No wait, don't fuck it. Fucking reminded him of Deuce and Gadjet together. He hated it. God, he hated it. How long had it been? An hour since he texted Deuce? He checked his phone. Three minutes.

Oh.

Well.

It FELT like an hour!

Three minutes should be enough for those two to finish fucking. Definitely with Deuce's stamina. Jay grinned to himself as he was trashing their sex life. "Serves him right."

His phone buzzed and he stumbled out of bed, face planted into the floor as he tripped over the wire of his computer to find his phone next to his bed on the floor. Why did he put it there again? Right, because he always managed to sit on top of it in his bed and then he'd look for it for hours only to feel it buzz in a weird spot.

_Deuce: Why?_

Jay stared at his phone in disbelief and scoffed. "Because…", he silently said to himself, "I AM YOUR FUCKING BOYFRIEND ASSHOLE!" he screamed as he threw his phone across the room. He dropped down to his knees with a sob. He was done trying to keep it together for the sake of his friends. For so long he wore the hard hat but now he was losing it.

And there was no one around to catch him. "I need help", he thought to himself. "I need someone to tell me it'll be fine."

But who?

He ruined it with Danny. Funny was busy with Jasmine. Da Kurlzz and Charlie were busy with each other. Johnny. He had to tell Johnny.

He looked at his phone but the screen was cracked and it didn't turn on. He sighed. He was going to have to walk. That's when he heard the sky split open in a horrible thunderstorm. "Great."

Did he really have to go?

He glanced at his phone again. Deuce didn't even want to hang out after sleeping over it. The answer was clear and it tore a hole inside of him. He needed to talk to Johnny about this before he decided to do another stupid thing like throwing his phone against the wall.

He put on a jacket and decided to make a run for it to Johnny's house. When he arrived there, he rang the bell like crazy. His finger pressed on the little button until Johnny opened up deranged. "Dude, what the fuck! Ava's asleep!"

"Sorry", Jay murmured.

The blue masked rapper took him up. "Why didn't you text me you were coming by?"

"I smashed my phone."

The glare shifted into a sympathetic look. "What did he do?"

Jay looked up and Johnny stepped aside. "Come in. You're soaking wet."

He got in, leaving wet droplets in his wake and stood there like a beaten dog.

"Jay, what did he do now?"

"Don't give me that degrading tone", Jay murmured. "I know that tone."

"What do you mean?"

"You talk to me like I should've known he was trouble. I love him, Johnny. I know he belongs with me but after three days of radio silence, he doesn't even want to hang out!"

Johnny put a towel on the couch so Jay could sit and took a seat next to him. "You caved and texted him?"

"I did."

"Because he didn't say anything."

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Because! I can't live with someone ignoring me! He could at least have the guts to reject me!"

Johnny looked down. "Jay, I'll be real honest here and quite blunt. You can't handle the rejection."

"What?"

"You're freaking out just because he doesn't want to hang out with you. Who knows what you'd do if he actually rejected you."

"That's not my point! I just want him to be straight with me"

Don't you mean _gay with you_ , Johnny thought with a mental grin but he managed to keep it down. "But why did you come here? What do you want me to do about it?"

"I…"

He shut his mouth again. "I guess I need someone to keep me from crashing down harder than necessary."

"Then quit giving Deuce power over you."

"How?"

"You could start by repairing your phone and losing his number."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel!


	48. The Story of Deuce

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Monster: Show some mercy, guys. I tried my best at describing Nine Lives here. Enjoy!

Like what the fuck, that writer just turned J-Dog into an emotional wreck and I totally feel bad for him now even though I initially hated him for loving the kidnapper of this story, but now I hate Deuce even more. Did I voice your thoughts right? You must be dying to figure out what's next for Jay.

Too bad that's not what this is about right now. Because you see, there's two sides of a story. Two guys. Jay. Deuce. You've seen J-Dog's side. The poor suffering of that man and his deep love for the kidnapper! What you didn't see, is what happened with Deuce. After all, a text doesn't confirm it's actually Deuce replying.

Let's take it from the departure of Deuce to his apartment. While the rest of the members were just talking about everything, Jay wasn't listening. He just watched Deuce's back as he left, walking next to Gadjet. Deuce felt the eyes pierce through him and couldn't bring himself to turn around and look at him. Instead he looked at his side, watching Gadjet. Strangely, he wasn't smiling at him. He expected him to be all smug about his victory over him. He appreciated how he didn't take it as a victory. Maybe he was just being considerate of his feelings. The moment they arrived at their apartment, Deuce felt a dreadful feeling wash over him. Fuck. Yuma.

Gadjet opened the door for the two of them but made Deuce get in first. He tensed his shoulders, waiting for the blow to come his way.

"WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING?!" came the loud shout from the living room. Deuce swallowed and looked back at Gadjet who shrugged. "Yuma ain't too happy with your actions towards Danny."

"I can see that", Deuce replied, walking into the apartment and finding Yuma furious, considering to lunge at the man. "You fucking kidnapped Danny?!"

"Could you give me that talk later? I've had enough for today", Deuce murmured before running off to his own room and slamming the door shut behind him. Nosy roommates. He took out his phone, debating whether or not he should text J-Dog. The moment he started typing "hey, what's up", Yuma opened the door to his room without knocking. The ex-singer yelped in surprise, throwing his phone up and trying to catch it but it still fell on the floor. "Great, thanks for that!"

Yuma dropped down on the bed, crawling towards him on hands and knees until he sat next to him. "So you got back together with Jay huh?"

"I did. Gadjet told you?"

"Yeah, he's pretty heartbroken. I mean, he loves you obviously. Be honest with him, Aron. You've got a habit of putting yourself into trouble deep and drowning before you can save your skin."

"I know", Deuce replied before he sighed. "I never wanted to hurt anyone. I just felt so fucking bad that Danny replaced me, gained my fame and I just keep swimming up the stream with 9Lives. Compare us to Hollywood Undead and our fame's nothing."

Yuma put an arm around his shoulder. "We've been through this. You had to go your own way musically. You weren't happy with your music and if you were meant to be with Jay, then you guys will be able to make it work either way. Whether you're in the same band or not. Whether you abducted Danny or not. If he loves you, he should love you for your bad attitude, man. He should accept the fact that you get in over your head when you're feeling something strongly."

Deuce shrugged the arm off his shoulders and leaned back on the bed. "I know, I know. I just wish I'd think before acting sometimes. It got me kicked out of HU. It got me locked up for a while at the police office. It got me in so much troubles already."

"It got you in a crew with Gadjet and me?"

Deuce chuckled. "That's true. Fuck, how did Arina react to this shit?"

Yuma pursed his lips. "She said, I quote: 'I'm gonna kill that fucking retarded brother of mine if he gets out of this alive'. So yeah, you should go talk to your sister, dude."

"Can't it wait? I gotta talk to Jay, talk to Gadjet. I gotta figure all of this shit out."

Yuma let himself fall back on the bed as well, both men staring at the ceiling as he said: "You can sort things out later. Jay and Gadjet will wait for you if they love you so you should talk to Arina first."

"Fine", Deuce sighed. "You're a dick, Yuma."

"You're my best friend too, Deuce", Yuma laughed.

The ex-singer stomped him in the arm. "Now get out. I gotta call my sister."

Yuma pulled himself upright and got out the room, chatting away with Gadjet again like he wasn't even mad anymore. How in the world did Deuce deserve such accepting friends?

His victorious feeling dissolved as he was reminded of Arina. Crap. He had to call her. He dialled her number, scrunching his nose at the thought of her reaction but when she picked up, all he heard was a happy: "Hey Aron!"

"Uh hey Arina."

"Why so hesitant?"

"Yuma said you were pissed at me for… you know. Kidnapping my rival."

"Oh that", she replied, awfully silent. "OF COURSE, I'M FUCKING ANGRY, YOU FUCKING POSTPONED ABORTION!"

Deuce cringed as he felt himself getting deaf. "That's so unfair! You know me. You shouldn't be surprised by my actions!"

"Aron, are you retarded? Tell me you hit your head this morning and all logical thoughts left your mind. Just because we know you and accept you, doesn't mean your actions are justified. You shouldn't kidnap someone. He's got a life too. Danny's got an ex-wife and a little daughter. How would you feel if I was kidnapped and my baby was left motherless? Because that's what you were trying to do to his daughter. I will always love you, you're my brother but I'm never gonna think what you did, was right. You should be grateful they even let you aboard the bus after all you did to Danny."

"Wait, how did you know about the bus?" Deuce asked, feeling stalked.

"The HU fandom's got some interesting things to say sometimes. I listen to their news since you DON'T TELL ME ANYTHING!"

"Ok, ok! I'm sorry for ignoring your calls and texts, alright?"

"No, not alright but we'll drop it for now. Tell me, did you get back together with Jay or were those fanfiction rumours?"

"Fanfiction rumours? What the fuck? No, yeah, I got back together with Jay but well… Gadjet and I?"

"Love triangle, my favourite", she snickered but her brother couldn't laugh at the comment. Instead he sighed. "I loved Jay but it's not the same. We're just different now."

"Maybe you needed to see that to get over him?"

"Maybe", he mused. "Anyway, nice talking to you, Arina but I'm gonna go. I got shit to figure out."

"Fine, but I wanna meet up with you soon though. I gotta smack you in the face for kidnapping Da…"

He cut off the conversation with an annoyed sigh. Fucking worried sibling. The 9Lives frontman walked into the living room, finding both his friends looking awfully suspicious. "You guys eavesdropped, didn't you?"

"NO!" both said way too quickly but Deuce chuckled. "Fucking idiots. Could you guys maybe lay off me?"

He knew he said "guys" but it was obviously pointed at Gadjet, asking him to quit trying to figure if he'd pick him or Jay. The man gave him a quick, short nod. "Watch a movie with us?"

"Every night is movie night", Deuce remembered. That time seemed ages ago. He dropped down on the couch in between both friends and swung his feet across Gadjet lap, leaning against Yuma's side. "Home sweet home."

* * *

 

"Dude, another movie night? That's like the third fucking night", Deuce complained but Gadjet swung the DVD in front of him. "Pleaaaase?"

"Fine", Deuce caved. "Yuma! Get your ass over here or we'll get started without you!"

"Sounds like every threesome with you guys", Yuma shot back at them in the kitchen, waiting for the laughter but when they didn't, he rolled his eyes. "No gay sex jokes, got it!"

"Deuce is in the fucking bathroom!" Gadjet called out. Yuma walked up to his friend on the couch when he noticed he had a phone in his hands. "Dude, is that Deuce's phone?"

Gadjet put a finger of his mouth and beckoned for his friend to come sit. "Jay texted Deuce asking if he wants to hang."

"It's not of our business what Deuce wants, Gadjet, put his phone back!" Yuma whispered. Gadjet shook his head and texted back: "Why?"

The toilet in the bathroom flushed and Gadjet panicked, deleting the entire conversation before he put the phone back on the table. Deuce dropped down on the couch. "Finally, Yuma. Let's get this movie started!"

The guitarist glared at Gadjet but the rapper didn't seem to care since the phone never buzzed during the movie. J-Dog gave up. Just like that. Victory for Gadjet.

When the movie ended, they went to their own room, Gadjet sharing his with Deuce in separate beds. That morning, Deuce awoke to a confusing text message from Jay.

_I'm done with you. Delete my number and never talk to me again. Hope you're happy with Gadjet. Bye, Deuce._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel!
> 
> Who do you ship? Gadjet/Deuce or Deuce/J-Dog?


	49. Home Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Kidnapped;  
> Danny and Funny are reunited and Danny finds the will to live.  
> J-Dog was rejected by Deuce through phone, ended up asking Johnny for help to get over his toxic ex  
> Gadjet was the one texting J-Dog through Deuce's phone and leaves Deuce confused when Jay tells him to lose his number

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Monster: Hello, guys! Some of you may have heard the rumours of TOC; The October Countdown I'll be doing. I will post 27 updates until Hollywood Undead's new album Five is released. Previously I said it would be Love Drabbles but I'd like to correct myself; I'll just update a chaptered story, a one-shot or whatever. Point is, I'll post something for 27 days in a row. Let me know what you guys think. Enjoy!

"I can't believe you're leaving this place tomorrow", Brad expressed with a shake of the head.

Danny chuckled. "Only because you were admitted in the middle of my sentence."

After Shady left, the new guy who took his place, Brad, ended up talking to Danny a lot. Mostly because they could relate to each other's problems. They took up the habit of calling their admission a sentence like they were in prison. The singer enjoyed spending time with Brad and he thought he'd definitely keep in touch with him after he got out. Brad was a bassist. He played for a famous band alongside his best friends from high school and his little brother. The reason he was admitted, was mainly because he suffered from a depression manifested through anger. He had held a gun up to his best friend's head because he found out he was dating his little brother. Fucked up, right? Anger due to depression. Strange thing.

"I still have 9 days to go. Don't leave me alone with Kevin."

"No one likes Kevin", Danny grinned with a mean voice. "Fuck off, Kevin."

"That's not nice but yeah. He reminds me of Neil. You know, the one I tried to shoot…"

"You'd shoot your brother's boyfriend?"

"Seems like I would."

Danny shook his head. "You're insane."

"And yet you connected with me? What does that make you?"

"Insane", the singer stuck out his tongue.

Brad smiled back at him and ran a hand through his hair. "Remember to come by every once in a while, when you're out, alright?"

"It'll feel like coming home", Danny laughed. "Honey, I'm home!"

They earned some weirded-out gazes from other patients but they didn't mind. Brad was a buddy but Danny had a lot of things to think about once he got out. Funny Man would be waiting for him and no, he didn't feel like waiting before they got back together but they'd have to take things slow. Like… REALLY slow.

He had a lot of healing to do when it came to his bond with Johnny and Jay. He'd stay away from Deuce for the time being since most of his recent behaviour had been a drawn-out reaction to Deuce joining the bus. He just wasn't ready, taking up too much stress before healing properly.

Only time would tell the future for Danny. He lay low for his final day there and spent the night dreaming of freedom. He'd be happy to do whatever he wanted once again. Finally, he could quit being the victim in every single situation. The aftermath of the kidnapping had been far graver than he ever imagined. 64 days since he went missing. 50 days since he'd been home again. The scarring was worse than the initial duration of the pain. It made him wonder how some human beings could be so resilient while others crumbled like him.

 

* * *

 

"You can do this", Grey stood behind him, encouraging him to get out there again. Danny didn't know if anyone would be there to receive him. Would he have to take the bus home by himself?

He took a deep breath and stepped outside the twin doors of the hospital, saying his final goodbyes to Grey. He breathed in the fresh air of freedom like a wave crashing into him.

There was no one outside and Danny felt a wave of disappointment, staring at the empty sidewalk when he heard a whistle coming from the right.

He whipped his head around, finding the guys leaning against a minivan. "Sorry, we're late but we had to find a car big enough to fit us all inside!"

Thought there were only 5 of them?

Danny smiled, running at the group. It was like everyone wanted to be there for him. Scarlet, Reese, Charlie, Johnny, Jay, Funny, Kurlzz,… He felt welcomed, embracing his daughter right away, twirling her around, even with his backpack awkwardly dangling on his shoulder. Funny Man greeted him with a tentative kiss to the temples, taking his bag from him. It felt great to be home and loved.

When he let go of Scarlet and Funny, Charlie stomped his arm. "Dude, I haven't seen you in like… 15 days! What's new?"

They got into the minivan and drove straight home. Some normal stuff would do him good.

"I met Shady Jeff!" Danny burst out, earning laughter from the guys and releasing old stories from back when he was trying to be a part of them. They didn't really like his rapping so they were happy when he left the band rather early on his own. They'd never had to force him out like Deuce.

"So Jeff left on your first week there?" Kurlzz asked. Danny nodded. "Yeah and guess what! He was replaced by Brad Walst!"

"NO WAY!" the guys responded in unison. "The bassist?"

"Yeah!"

"What was he there for?"

"Not allowed to tell", Danny grinned. "But it was juicy. I could relate to his behaviour a lot before getting better and I like to think I made him feel better as well."

"Danny made friends in the nuthouse", Johnny mocked him and the singer stuck out his tongue. "A better friend than you!"

"That's low!" Johnny complained but it was good natured humour.

Danny turned to Jay with a questioning look. "How are things with Deuce?"

"I manage", Jay replied. "Told him to lose my number."

The singer cocked his head. "Wait, what?"

"Deuce was in a relationship with Gadjet when he chased you down and he chose Gadjet when he got home", Johnny explained, informing the rest of the guys as well. Danny offered a smile to Jay. "I'm sorry. We're here for you. I'm here for you."

It was a small step towards healing their bond but at least he was trying to heal them. Jay appreciated the offer and smiled back at the singer. Funny wrapped both arms around Danny, pulling him in close against him. "I'm just happy to have our singer close to us again. Are you… alright now?"

Danny shrugged. "I suppose I am. I don't really know what to say to that, honestly, but I feel like… I can breathe? I can breathe again without feeling pressure in my chest. It's like I just know I have to hold on. I'm not done with this world yet."

The Mexican held him close to his chest and kissed his cheek from behind. "You're too precious for this world but please stay in it anyway."

The guys laughed at the comment but their display of affection made everyone feel the love. Theresa certainly didn't mind. She seemed happy to see her ex-husband so happy and Scarlet kept laughing, even if she didn't understand all of it. Charlie held Matt closer to him, feeling like everything would be fine for once in their lives.

Johnny looked at the pairs and glanced at Jay. "I think that's our cue to cuddle as well."

Jay raised an eyebrow. "If you hug me now, I will fucking break your arm."

"Sassy, I like that", Johnny laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel!
> 
> Damn, it really had been a while since this story got an update but don't worry. I've almost finished 4 more Kidnapped chapters, I'm working on Consume Me Chapter 2, a ton of Love Drabbles (about 18 of them), the next Puzzle The Pieces, chapter 4 to Fucked Up Inside and chapter 8 for Make Me Levitate.


	50. Anywhere But Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Kidnapped:  
> Danny's home again but not for long

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Monster: Hi guys. I will deliver but I'm exhausted as well so bear with me if my updates run late, I still have to write most of them while April Dump had 17 pre-written one-shots done by the time it started. For this October Countdown, I started out with 2 updates ready. Enjoy.

"I don't want to go on tour, guys…" Danny begged them, trying to snatch his hands free from both Funny's and Charlie's grip. The pair looked at each other with a smile and shook their heads, continuing onwards and dragging Danny along. The singer pushed himself down until he sat down on the sidewalk like a stubborn child. "I need to be careful. I can't relapse and play the victim card again on tour. I need to heal before I can do this again."

"We're not going on tour", Johnny responded, annoyed with the lack of explanation from his friends.

Charlie rolled his eyes. "Way to blow the surprise, dude."

"I didn't blow it. He doesn't know where we're going", Johnny responded, taking a cup of coffee from Jay's hands as he left Starbucks to join them. "Yeah, he doesn't know about the road trip."

"Road trip?" Danny asked confused.

Da Kurlzz smacked Jay in the arm. "You blew it."

"Yeah, no way around it, Jay, you messed up the surprise", Johnny said, rolling his eyes.

Jay shrugged. "He doesn't know we're going to-…"

Johnny covered his mouth with a hand and shook his head. "Unbelievable. Quit spoiling!"

Jay said a muffled "sorry" and pulled the hand away from his face.

Danny got up and dusted his pants off. "Where are we going then?"

"Depends. Would you be interested and doing… one concert?" Charlie asked, eyebrows furrowed.

The singer almost felt guilty for considering turning him down when he smiled. "I think one concert would be a great way to see how much I've improved mentally. A strong mentality can be transferred through my singing!"

Charlie stared at him. "Yeah...sure. Whatever floats your boat. Anyway, we're doing a gig out in the city but I can't spoil too much so will you just cooperate and come with us?"

"Alright."

The five of them guided the oblivious singer out to an open parking lot and stopped. "Why are we stopping?"

"You can't see it yet?"

"What?"

Charlie pointed in front of the singer at a bus.

"A bus?"

"A brand new tour bus to erase all of your bad memories!" Charlie announced, bowing to an invisible crowd.

Danny stared at him wide-eyed. "No way."

"Way", Johnny confirmed. "We've got a new place."

"What's it like?"

"Let's head inside", Johnny smirked.

Inside the bus was a lot nicer than their old one. It was clean, seats around the sides when you entered, kitchen counters and cupboards on the left while the couch seats were drawn out to the right. Shower and toilet room behind the mini fridge. After that came the bunks with dark curtains for privacy. In the back a round couch around the edges and large television hanging from the ceiling.

"I'm a fan of the back", Funny commented.

Danny looked around. "I'm a fan of the entire thing. It's so clean and it smells clean!"

"Well, this will be our new home during the road trip."

"Where are we going then?" Danny repeated, annoyed at how little he knew.

Da Kurlzz grinned. "Patience. We're playing at a large stadium in the centre of LA to celebrate our comeback and we're hitting the road right after."

"How the hell are we going to sell tickets on such short notice?" Danny asked.

Funny Man put an arm around his shoulder. "Yeah, about that. We knew you'd agree. The concert's sold out."

"WHAT?"

"Yeah, we arranged all of this the moment you got back last week", Jay said, sipping his coffee.

Danny didn't know if he had to be offended or happy that they'd done all of this behind his back. They probably didn't want to burden him with trivial shit and let him have some time off. Well, time off with Funny.

The singer was released on day 64, spending his time with his boyfriend to talk things through and stay at his place. The future was bright for them so it was pretty tough not to be an optimist when it came to his mental state. Sometimes you just need your love to puzzle your pieces together.

Day 70 now and tomorrow evening they were playing a major gig in the centre of LA to celebrate it all. It seemed so surreal. Especially since he'd been in the psych ward only a week ago.

"I love you guys", Danny smiled, cupping Funny's cheek. "Especially you."

The Mexican smiled back at the singer and put an arm around his waist. "I'm happy to have you by my side again."

"A clean slate", Danny responded.

"God, you guys are stickier than Da Scene."

The pair stared confused at them.

"Our new shipname", Charlie elaborated.

"That's cute", Danny chuckled. "What would ours be?"

Before the two of them could think about it, Johnny said; "Alvarillo. Jesus, don't you guys read the fanfictions?"

"What?"

"Never mind", the blue masked rapper countered, throwing the empty coffee cup in the trashcan. "We should go home. Get some rest and prepare for the trip tomorrow. Pack smart. Check the weather forecast."

"But where are we going?" Danny begged.

"I'll pack for you so we won't have to reveal it yet", Funny Man teased the singer who slapped him. "That's mean. I wanna know."

"No", Jay said. "You can't know."

"Guys! I thought I was gonna be home for a few weeks?"

"Thought you'd like some time off to enjoy the beach?"

Danny lit up like a Christmas tree "LETS GO! ROAD TRIP YES!"

"Get some rest first", Johnny said and the singer nodded happily. "I can't wait!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel  
> and please don't kill me for what I'm gonna do next chapter.


	51. Shady End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Kidnapped;  
> The guys of HU are playing one comeback concert in LA before hitting the road for a well-deserved holiday... Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Monster: Hi guys! I am sorry for this chapter and please don't kill me after this one but I promise you guys it serves a purpose (as the title of the chapter suggests). Unfortunately I can not update the upcoming two days due to personal stuff so I'm terribly sorry for interrupting The October Countdown. And yes, I do feel horribly guilty about not being able to deliver material for my TOC promise for 2 days. I'd make it up to you but then again, I only have 3 updates left before running out of stuff to post so it'll already be a tight fit. Enjoy!

"What's up?" Johnny asked, holding the door as Jay appeared in front of it. Only hours before they'd check out the stadium they'd play at tonight.

"I don't want to be alone right now. Deuce tried texting me and I shut down my phone", Jay replied.

The blue masked rapper made way for the man to get inside. "What did he say?"

"He said he was confused. Said he didn't get why I was acting like this."

His friend scoffed in response. "Yeah, sure."

He opened the fridge and fetched a beer. "Need one?"

"You read my mind", Jay sighed, catching the beer and opening it. He sipped it and looked up. "What about the others?"

"What about them?"

"Have you heard anything since yesterday?"

"Not really. They're kinda busy, I think. Danny and Funny seem to be doing pretty alright now."

"Wonder what's up with Charlie though. I haven't heard him since we left the place."

"Yeah, weird."

The bell rang and Johnny shouted. "Asia, could you open the door, please?"

"Sure, dear!" she called back, opening the front door to reveal both Charlie and Da Kurlzz. "Oh hey, guys!"

The pair entered the living room. "We thought we'd find you both here."

"What's up? You guys look pretty down."

Charlie sighed. "I've got some news…"

"What is it?"

He grinned. "I'm getting married."

"To whom?" Johnny brain-farted.

The four of them gave him an "are you fucking kidding me"-look.

"To Matty, idiot. I proposed."

"CONGRATULATIONS!" J-Dog called out before Johnny who seemed surprised. "Wait, what? Really?"

"Yeah."

"Awesome! Happy for you guys!" Johnny called out a little later.

"You proposed?" Jay asked. "I thought Kurlzz would."

Da Kurlzz smirked. "No, he did. Quite a unique way to do it too."

"How?"

Charlie blushed slightly. "I spelled it in syrup on his pancakes, then got down on one knee this morning."

"I squealed", Da Kurlzz admitted.

Charlie chuckled. "Yeah and he…"

"No, I'll tell!" Da Kurlzz cut him off. "I cried, ok? I cried."

The others burst out laughing. "He called his mom on the phone in a crying voice saying 'imma get married'", Charlie mimicked.

"Crybaby", Johnny laughed.

Kurlzz grinned. "Well, I'm sorry but I wanna share the rest of my life with this fucker."

He emphasized the point by squeezing Charlie tightly against him with one arm over his shoulders.

Asia clapped. "Amazing, you two were always meant to be."

"How do you know about them anyway?" Johnny wondered dumbfounded.

She smiled. "A girl accepts such things earlier, honey, so they told me once when you were in the basement and I was talking to them on the couch."

"You kept it hidden for me all that time?"

"It didn't seem important to tell, right? Why would you care about their relationship?"

Johnny shrugged. "You're right, I don't."

Then the bell rang again. "I'll go", Johnny offered when his wife got up. She sat down again and smiled at the others. "I'm so happy for the two of you. Finally engaged."

"And I finally broke up!" J-Dog cheered, thrusting his beer up.

Danny and Funny burst inside. "IS IT TRUE YOU GUYS ARE GETTING MARRIED?!"

"News travels fast…"

"Jay texted me", Danny said. "Is it true?"

"Yeah", Charlie smirked. "We are getting married."

"OH MY GOD AWESOME!"

Funny pulled Danny back. "Quit fanboying already."

"We should head to the bus and drive to the place, guys, or we're gonna be late for rehearsal", Johnny busted their bubble.

The guys shot upright. "Hollywood Undead is back in business!"

They drove there to see the place where they would do the concert and to rehearse a lot since they hadn't been playing together in ages. "It's nice to play a gig again tonight", J-Dog smiled.

"Especially now that we've got Danny back in our midst. The fights are over and the couples are together again. Except for me and Deuce but that's OK. I don't mind being single anyway."

"Good to hear that from you, my friend", Johnny flung his arm around J-Dog's shoulder. "Who knew we would turn out to be fine after so much horrible things?"

At that Danny swallowed the comment to tell them he still had nightmares. Instead he snuggled closer against Funny Man's side as they stared at the large concert building in front of them. "The first concert since my voice improved."

"It has to be huge", Funny Man endorsed.

"That's what she said", Charlie chuckled.

Johnny smacked his head. "No ruining the emotional moment, Charles."

"I'm sorry, Jonathan", the bandana rapper pouted but his smile shone through.

Da Kurlzz came up behind him and wrapped his arms around his shoulders. "I don't think the drama's over. I think there's still something left between Deuce and J-Dog, even with Gadjet between them."

J-Dog sighed. "Probably, but we'll deal with that later. Now we'll enjoy a peaceful moment together."

Da Kurlzz kissed Charlie's cheek. "Wanna go back to the bus or do you wanna go sight-seeing?"

"Bus", Charlie replied with a yawn.

"Go ahead, I'll be there soon", Kurlzz hushed and let the other leave to the bus parked only thirty feet away from them.

"Why don't you go too?" Johnny wondered.

The drummer shrugged. "First, I wanna get a good look inside", he said as he entered the building. The five of them walked into the place when the ground shook.

"Earthquake?" Danny asked worried.

There was screaming outside. The guys headed out and saw people running, panic everywhere. "What's going on!"

The air was hot, radiating even when Matt spotted the source. The bus was on fire.

He froze. "No… No…"

The others looked at the source of his panic when the drummer awoke from his frozen state, running as fast as he could towards the place. "CHARLIE!"

"No, Matt! You'll get burnt!" Johnny shouted. Danny and Funny ran forward to keep the drummer from running in but he struggled out of their grip like his life depended on it. His life did depend on it. Charlie was in there.

If his beloved was still alive.

The hot flames dared him to come any closer but he wasn't fazed by them. He was filled with a pure agonizing fear of losing his beloved, tearing him apart and watering his sight but he shook it off as he got inside. "JORDON!"

He could hear a faint cough, leading him to what used to be the bunks, piece of metal collapsed and the entire interior had come down on it. The bus was nothing but a squeezed piece of metal with two men inside, burning up the air and making the time tick on. You could tell from the sudden fire and the fact that Charlie had been inside that there had been a bomb inside the bus. They had to get out quickly before it would set off another explosion.

"Matty…"

Kurlzz found the poor bandana rapper trapped underneath a piece of the ceiling, eyes barely open. He was covered in dirt from the smoke, coughing. His skin was torn on his forehead, painting his face in crimson stripes of blood. He was only slightly awake. The drummer dragged the rubbish off of his partner, burning his hands and arms in the process but he had to get him out of there. He picked him up and dragged him out of the bus, the others breathing out relieved but as they were only ten feet away from the burning vehicle, it exploded a second time, a power wave made them fall over. The four others screamed for them when both their visions turned black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel! Should this chapter seem rushed, it's not but I wrote this chapter 2 years ago, waiting for this moment to arrive.


	52. Dying Tree

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Monster: Hi guys! I'll be posting every other day since my exhaustion's catching up to me. I really don't have that much time to write these days but I'm hoping to catch up on some chapters in the next few days. I'd like to announce I'll write a 3rd chapter for Types of Drunks regarding the 9Lives crew. Enjoy!

_Previously on Kidnapped;_

_While checking out the concert building for their big comeback, Charlie decided to get some rest in their brand new bus when an unknown fire caused an explosion. Da Kurlzz dragged his fiancé out of it just in time for a second explosion to hit, but were they far enough to be spared?_

Beep…Beep…Beep.

The slow heart monitor beeped along with the soft beating of his heart. A droplet dripped from the top of the drip down into the puddle of salty water mixed with antibiotics to ease the pain. The pointer of the clock shifted as seconds of precious life passed. Every second could be the last one to experience. Four boys waited by the hospital bed, wasting away the seconds, minutes, even hours. It could take days before he'd wake up. Weeks, months until he'd be recovered. Years to heal.

Maybe the scars would never heal. Scars can stay forever engraved in your skin. The sun shone upon the bright yellow walls of the room, lighting the place up yet their hearts remained dark and their minds remained shrouded in a cloud of concern. Worry for their companions.

It had been a day since Da Kurlzz dragged Charlie out of the fire before they both fainted. Both had yet to awake. Their screamer friend lying in the bed in front of them, but visitors weren't allowed in the rapper's room. Da Kurlzz just had to wake up, get checked up and he'd be free. Charlie had to survive on the intensive care, get checked and then they would be able to form a conclusion on his wounds.

He might not ever wake up.

Danny leaned his head into his arms and drew up his knees as he sat against the wall. He silently begged for Da Kurlzz to wake up soon, yet he also begged for the doctor to bring them good news about Charlie. Both could happen any minute now.

Johnny hadn't been doing anything but staring out of the window since he'd got there. He could see a tree from where he was sitting, slowly dying, like his hope for a full recovery. His heart refused to acknowledge that thought and he prayed to God to save Charlie and to let Da Kurlzz wake up already.

J-Dog sat down at the end of the bed and kept silent. Funny Man was placed next to his boyfriend on the ground. None of them said anything. None of them wanted to break the precious silence as if it would cause them to kill Da Kurlzz.

The drummer lied there, immobile. His eyelids quivered now and then as if he was trying to wake up, but he didn't. A tube sticking out of his mouth that provided him with fresh air as he had breathed in the smoke of the fire. A part of him didn't want to wake up. A part of him thought he was going to survive Charlie. He didn't want to live without his fiancé. He wanted to die before he could receive the news that his boyfriend had died. Yet that wasn't what fate had in mind for the boys.

That much was obvious when a light shone through the comfortable darkness of his own mind. He squinted his eyes open, only to receive too much light and close them again. He blinked a few times before he opened them and gurgled around the tube. The whole room came into action when he did.

J-Dog immediately called for a doctor and the nurse came rushing inside to calm Kurlzz down. Danny and Funny Man jumped upright to see what was going on with their friend and Johnny turned his head away from the dying tree into the direction of his very much alive friend.

At first Da Kurlzz was disoriented. He didn't know where he was. He didn't know what had happened. The nurse removed the tube in his throat and told him to remain calm. Reality came crashing down in his mind as he remembered how frightened he had felt when his beloved was inside that burning piece of metal. He couldn't remain calm. He burst out in a panic and demanded to know if Charlie was still alive. He had to know. The nurse couldn't tell him anything since she wasn't assigned to the intensive care. She eased the screamer and told him the doctor would come by any moment now. "Let me check your wounds. Maybe time will pass more quickly if I do. Then you don't have to wait that long. I know the long wait is excruciating but you've got burnmarks too."

"OK", Da Kurlzz whispered in a raw raspy voice. His four friends gathered around him for support and expressed their hopes as the nurse took Da Kurlzz away to a different chamber.

Danny sighed and felt as if he had aged a lot in the last few months. "Charlie's gonna make it, right?"

"What if he does but he's not in a good condition? What if he's alive but paralyzed?" J-Dog mused.

Funny Man nodded along, not daring to reply to that.

Johnny did reply. "Then we'll take care of him. He'd be alive and that's the only thing that counts right now. We need him in our midst. He's our super glue."

"Do you think he'll be OK?"

"I know he will. We're talking about Charlie", Johnny weakly smiled before turning his gaze back at the dying tree. God had answered his prayers of Da Kurlzz' awakening. Now he had to answer his second prayer. Johnny only hoped that he'd fulfill another wish instead of one wish for each.

Half an hour later Da Kurlzz got back to his room. He had a few burns that would heal with time. Only one would have trouble healing but it was on his shin so it didn't matter that much. It wasn't much of an obvious spot to see it anyway.

His friends and a doctor were waiting for him and he knew what it meant. The doctor was about to tell them Charlie didn't make it. He was about to hear how his beloved had whispered his last words, blew out his final breath and died. He couldn't bear it.

Yet that wasn't what the doctor had to say.

The man in the white coat straightened up and checked his board. "Jordon Terrell's friends?"

"Yes", the five confirmed.

He swallowed thickly. "He has suffered a lot of injuries. He's got burns from a wide range. From first degree to third degree. The area affected most is his torso. His shoulder's got a nasty third degree burn we'll have to perform surgery if he ever wants to feel again. His nerves are wrecked there. Another badly hit spot is his left arm. We'll have to perform surgery there too as well as on his right cheekbone. We'll have to implant a few skin grafts to heal the scorched skin. He might not ever fully recover. The accident will surely leave scars."

As soon as he had finished speaking, their comments flowed in. Relief filled their hearts yet they still feared Charlie's mental state. That was a different matter they had to get information on.

"Is he awake?" Da Kurlzz asked.

The doctor shook his head. "We're keeping him unconscious until we've performed surgery. Then we'll let him wake up and you'll all be able to see him."

"Poor Charlie", Danny mused.

Johnny closed his eyes and thanked the dying tree Charlie wouldn't follow him in his fate.

"What about his mental state?" Funny Man asked.

The man sighed and shook his head. "We can't tell for sure what might happen to his mental state because he's unconscious right now, but seeing how he's doing right now, I'd say minor damage. His head didn't take much."

"But how will he handle those skin grafts?" J-Dog asked.

"We don't know. His body might refuse them but we don't know for sure."

J-Dog shook his head. "No, I meant how will he react when he wakes up only to find his body in this state."

"Reactions depend on the personality of the patient. You know better than I do how Jordon might react to his physical state", the man stated.

J-Dog sighed, lowered his head. "He might panic."

"He'll be fine", Danny whispered, leaning against Funny Man for comfort.

"I'll let the news sink in", the doctor said before leaving the room. Da Kurlzz felt tears prickle in his eyes. "Charlie is alive."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel!


	53. I Think I Lost My Mind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Monster: Hi guys! I'd be excited about posting this chapter if it weren't for my computer. The old thing's slowly breaking down so posting this, took me a full fucking hour... wouldn't even load. Anyway, I'm trying my best to do something for the October Countdown, the day after tomorrow I'll probably post a songfic called Watch Me Burn (Silent Theory). If you don't know that song, I suggest checking it out. Though I might do Fragile Minds instead of Watch Me Burn depending on my mood. Enjoy!

_Previously on Kidnapped;_

_Da Kurlzz awoke in the hospital to hear Charlie would need surgery to fully recover from his burns. Now the guys can only hope for the best._

Charlie was alive and he would recover. That sole sentence caused the boys to breathe in relief and smile at each other for the first time since they'd got there. Soon Da Kurlzz was fired from the hospital so he could sit and wait in the chair in front of Charlie's room. The five spent their time chattering small talk and playing card in the corridor. Charlie was currently under the knife.

"I can't wait to hug him", the screamer muttered as he played a neat card onto the table. Danny cussed between his teeth and leaned over to see Funny Man's cards.

"Hey!" the Mexican yelped and pulled away his cards.

The lead singer pouted. "I'm your boyfriend! We share everything!"

"Except for my cards!" Funny Man complained, then turned to Da Kurlzz. "Yeah, I can't wait to see him smile again. Then I'll know for sure he's OK."

"Don't cry victory too soon, guys. I don't want to get our hopes crushed if any complications come up", Johnny sighed as he played his card.

J-Dog played his own card and scoffed. "Charlie's strong. He'll survive anything. Don't be so negative."

"I'm just realistic", Johnny defended.

Da Kurlzz hummed a soft tune. "I think Charlie and I might get married on a non-Hollywood Undead song."

"No shit! We don't have sappy love songs!" Danny commented while rolling his eyes. Funny Man hushed his boyfriend with a grip around his waist while checking out his cards. "What song did you have in mind?"

"Never Stop by Safetysuit", Da Kurlzz grinned slightly.

J-Dog bit his tongue not to make a bad comment. "That song is so fucking sappy."

"How long is he gonna be in there?" J-Dog asked, looking up from his cards.

"They should be done soon and then they're gonna let Charles wake up", Da Kurlzz dreamt with a huge smile.

"Unless", Johnny began but the guys finished it for him. "Complications yeah yeah."

The blue masked rapper felt uneasy. He didn't dare to be positive, too scared it might fuck up their joy and something bad might happen to the rapper…

A few hours later they could finally see Charlie but he wasn't awake just yet. He could wake up any minute. The first one to enter, was Matt of course. He dragged a chair towards the bed and held the rapper's hand. He looked beaten. Both of them did. Charlie seemed so weak in his current state, scarring covering his body but other than that, he seemed fine. The cut on his forehead was patched up as well.

Danny and Funny stood by his feet. "I hope he wakes up soon."

"So do I", Matt murmured in response. "I want him to tell me he's fine. I just can't shake the feeling I almost lost him."

"It could take a while before he wakes up. We should go get something to eat. It's dinner time", Johnny offered but Matt turned his head to Charlie. "You guys go. I'll stay with Charlie in case he wakes up."

The four of them left him with his bedbound boyfriend. Matt stared at Jordon's face. So weak, yet so peaceful. It was almost like he was sleeping…

"You know… It's ironic how this always seems to happen when we're finally doing alright. Danny's out of the hospital and now you're in one. Though I can't complain. We've had a full week without drama. I guess it would've been too good to be true to end it like this. A happy ending. Something just had to happen at one point, right? But why did it have to be you? If only you hadn't gone back to that stupid bus…"

"Kurlzz?"

The drummer turned around, facing the singer in the doorway. "Hey."

Danny took cautious steps inside, feeling like an intruder. "I… I need to tell something to someone. I just need to get it off my chest because it's killing me."

"What is it?" Matt asked confused.

Danny pulled up a chair and sat down next to the drummer. "When I was in the psych ward, I met Shady, you know? Shady was a good guy to me. He was helpful, understanding and shit but he hated you guys because of my story. He kept saying I should set you guys on fire. He's a pyromaniac, you see? But he kept saying stuff like… that I should set you guys on fire or make you guys explode or whatever, you know? Do you think that he…?"

Da Kurlzz inhaled sharply. "I don't know, Danny. You should talk to the cops about this stuff. They'll see what they can do for us."

"Yeah but well… The cops never did anything for us. You guys found me before they did so maybe we just… need to check this out for ourselves."

Matt ducked his head in a sigh. "I know you mean well, Danny, but I'm kinda busy worrying about the life of my partner here…"

"I know… I'm sorry", Danny sighed as he got up and left the room again. Da Kurlzz felt bad about turning down the singer like that but he couldn't worry about some old bandmember wanting to set them all on fire. He couldn't think about how he might be out to kill them… chase them down, hunt them down, kill them one by one until only Danny was left. Jesus, fuck, maybe Danny was right and they'd have to take matters into their own hands. "Danny!?"

"What?" the singer peeked his head around the corner.

"Just take your story to the cops. If they won't do shit, we will."

"Thanks", he smiled, eyes growing bigger before pointing at Charlie. "Matt, look."

The drummer whipped his head around to look at the bandana rapper who moved his head side to side, eyebrows furrowed. He was waking up.

"Call a doctor!"

Danny hurried outside, calling nurses and a doctor because their friend was waking up. He headed downstairs to find the others in the cafeteria as well.

"Charlie, calm down", Matt hushed his partner when his eyes shot open, a panicked look in it. He was probably as disoriented as Matt had been when he woke up. He squeezed his hand firmly. "You've had an accident but it's fine. You're alive."

The rapper slowed down, taking a moment to look at the drummer when the nurses and doctor walked in, removing the tube and checking vitals. He seemed to be doing fine so they quickly left again, the guys now entering the room. Matt smiled at Charlie. "Are you alright?"

"I think so", the rapper smiled back at him. "What happened?"

"The bus exploded. You were in it. I'm so fucking happy you're alright."

"I'm happy to be alive", Charlie murmured. "How'd I get out?"

"I dragged you out", Matt responded, squeezing his hand again and leaning his chin on his shoulder on the bed. "I was so scared I'd lose you."

"Even when I just woke up, you're still a fag", the rapper laughed, Matt's face turning sour. "Why would you say that?"

"You're looking at me like I'm your fucking boyfriend", Charlie commented. "It's kinda gay how you look like you're about to kiss me."

"Charlie…"

"And who the hell is that dude?" Charlie asked, pointing at Danny. Danny squeaked in surprise, shielding himself behind Funny. "I'm the singer of HU…"

"No, you're not. Deuce is. Where is he?"

"What the hell is going on?" Matt panicked, looking at the guys who seemed equally as confused.

Johnny stared at Charlie. "Dude, what year is it?"

"What kind of a question is that? I was in an accident, not in a time machine. It's still 2008, you know."

Matt shook his head. "No… No way…"

"He lost his memory", Johnny murmured to the guys as they all stared at the oblivious Charlie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel!


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